seeing things differently

Today, as I was washing dishes and listening to a Bethany Dillon CD, I had one of those moments that make you look at life just a little differently.

It was this song: a song about the faithfulness of God.

I Believe In You (Imagination Album Version) - Bethany Dillon


I've heard this song a million times, but for some reason - today it hit me that the lyrics are what I want my children to know (I mean really KNOW) that their mom feels about them.

I've thought a lot about what it means to love unconditionally since being married to David. He's really good at loving me unconditionally. I'm really not so good at it. Marriage has been a big part of my training in the School of Life.

What I've learned is that loving someone unconditionally can be really hard at times. Real love means loving regardless of how you "feel". Real love can be messy and frustrating - and it definitely means dying to yourself - which if we're being honest here, is H.A.R.D. and totally sucks.

Really loving someone is a choice...one with wonderful, beautiful rewards.

Now that I'm a mom, real love takes on a whole new meaning for me. Two little lives are counting on ME to show them what real love means. They are counting on me to communicate the love of Christ with them.

How do you even come close to loving like our Heavenly Father does? The task can seem mind-blowing and totally daunting if you really stop to think about it.

I don't know much, but I do know that a step in the right direction is to just tell them. Tell them over and over and over and over. Tell them that you love them no matter what they do or how they act. Tell them that you believe in them. Tell them that they can never do anything to make you love them more than you already do - and never do anything that will make you love them less. Ever.

I hope that I can do that. I pray that I will do that.

As you trudge through your day today, I hope that this song inspires you a little too.