A Parent's Love

I think that I am learning more and more about my heavenly father by being a parent myself.

When Cooper was born I really thought that I loved him - and I did - but now that he has been in our lives for 4 months now, I love him so much more intensely than I did the day he was born. The love that I have for him grows so much each day as I see him grow and develop. My friend Jessica once described the love that she had for her daughter as fierce and I didn't totally understand what she meant until I had a child of my own, but now I get it - I really get it.

Also since this love has grown, my fears that something will happen to Cooper has also grown. I know this fear is not of God so I have been saturating myself with scripture lately. Meditating upon the love of God this morning, I can't imagine what it must have felt like for our Heavenly Father to see his only son on that cross. Scripture says that God actually had to turn away. How painful to be able to prevent your child from pain and suffering but know that they have to endure it. I just can't imagine.

Furthermore, how much my father loves me! How beautiful is his love for me that he would let his son - his only son - to die for me. I can't imagine loving someone more than Cooper, much less let him give his life for someone who may shun him, turn away from him, even curse his name. Knowing how much I love my own son only exemplifies to me how much my heavenly father loves me. I've always known this but now I get it - I really get it.