I am thankful for my kids. They are a wonderful mess. And while I could spend the rest of the day telling you all about the fun and crazy things that I love about my kids, that’s not why I’m thankful for them in this post. I am thankful for them because they made me a father. And that has shown me an incredible amount about the nature of God.
When I look at my kids and think about my relationship to them, I can’t help but think about my relationship to God. I love my kids deeply; not because of anything that they have done for me or because of how talented, smart, or beautiful they are (and I can tell you as an unbiased observer, they are high ranking in all those areas). I love them because they are mine, because I put so much of myself into them, because they are a part of me. So then I see God, my Father, looking at me, His child, and I can kind of see what He sees.
And then there’s this verse:
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt 7:9-10)
My emotions and understanding are limited by my humanity and mortality. But God’s mentality is infinite. So when I see my kids and feel a sense of love and pride in them, ‘How much more’ is God’s love for me?
Why does God love us? Because we are His kids.