A number of years ago I was driving with my 3 year old granddaughter and from the back seat I heard Danielle say, “Grandma I love you.” Her words overjoyed me. My response was, “I love you too.” To my delight I also heard Danielle say, “I love Jesus.” I was thrilled with her love for Jesus. That night I pondered our sweet conversation. Love brings deep joy to our souls. To love Him, to love others and to be loved by both is God’s grand plan. However, when love is withheld it brings great trauma to our lives. I remembered days when I was a nursing student. In my “Introductory to Nursing” course, we were taught that our basic needs are water, air, rest, purpose, and love/relationships. This truth was reinforced while working at Children’s Hospital in Boston. I cared for a few babies with the diagnosis, “failure to thrive.” One of my babies had food, water, and air but was not held and loved. The child was left in a crib with a bottle propped periodically, but seldom held. She was one year old, tiny, and unable to move with the normal mobility and activity of a one year old. Her face was expressionless. No smile or twinkle in her eyes. When I held her, I had to be extremely gentle because her physical body was brittle, and emotionally she was scared to be held. She could not receive a warm embrace because love was not demonstrated to her in her short life.
This makes me think about how even some adults don’t receive love and relationships as God intended. When human relationships fail to give love and acceptance, adults can respond in much the same manner as this little baby by creating emotional walls. This happens over time as a person is not respected and loved in safe relationships. It can produce failure to thrive in an adult, which is demonstrated when a person cannot accept love both on a human level and spiritual level. This means a person cannot accept the greatest love of all and that is the love of Christ. When one has built walls to protect oneself from pain, it actually creates pain in the long run. It is not easy, but we have a Savior who understands our pain and can help us if we will turn to Him and trust Him. He was beaten, rejected by his friends and people after loving them. He of all people understands the pain of being neglected. He loves us.
God loved us so much He sent Jesus to die for us so we can experience Christ’s love and be in relationship with Him. He tells us in Matthew 18:3-4 “…Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” I want to be more childlike in my loving relationship with Him. To trust Jesus and enjoy how he loves me.” I want to thrive in His love and simply believe God’s words, “… I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV). He promises to love me and strengthen me to walk with Him so I can give out love as well. How about you? Do you richly thrive in Jesus’ love?