About the Love I have for You
It's a Wednesday night. And there we are. There's a fire in the fireplace but it's not enough to calm the tension thats in the air of our living room. I'm sitting on the couch, and I'm sitting straight and engaged with my fists clenched in my lap. Across from me is my sister, but her hands aren't clenched and her back isn't straight. She looks afraid. On the other side of the living room my dad is sitting in his recliner. He's turned facing us, his crazy hair all disheveled, but the rest of him engaged and concerned. The dried paths of tears on our faces testify to how long we'd been in conversation.
"Dad, she doesn't deserve your forgiveness! How many times has she made the same mistakes. How many times will you forgive her only for her to hurt and disobey you 10 more times. She's never going to change!" That's me. That's my pain and hurt and bitterness and pride shouting. Accusing. And I want my dad to give up on her, I want him to make her hurt like we hurt. I want her to be punished, I want her to live with all the baggage we live with because of her. But... He turns his face to her, and he loves her. He loves her. And I see him look at her, and in her eyes he sees himself. She is a part of him, and he will never let her go. He will never give up on her. He will never stop forgiving her. He will never stop protecting her. He will never stop choosing to believe the best about her. He will never stop sacrificing everything he has for her. And that's love. And my dad says, "No, there's goodness in her. There's hope. I believe in her."
Years and years before this scene in our living room, there's another dad sitting in a another living room with his own sons. One of his Son's sits there with tears welled in his eyes begging for forgiveness. He's shaking and trembling and pleading and begging his father to save the souls of man. Across from him sits the accuser. The accuser says, "No! They don't deserve another chance. Look at them. They are full of hate and rage and war. They tear each other apart. They let each other starve in the streets. They reject the needy and care only for themselves. How many times have they turned their backs on you. How many times have they hurt you and murdered you in their hearts. They deserve death and punishment-justice." The dad turns to his face to his son. In his son he sees himself. His son is a part of him and he will never let him go. "It's not about what you deserve", he says. He extends his hand to his son. "It's about the only thing that can heal the son's of man. It's about the love that I have for you."
And with the words of those fathers, every accuser is crushed under the weight of a father's love for his son's and daughter's. It's the forgiveness and love of the first dad, that gave my dad the power to extend the same love and forgiveness. And we have the same power in us. The power to forgive. The power to forgive over and over and over again. Because that is justice-that is love-that's the power of a father.
So look into someone's eyes and see yourself. Remember the love of the father and say, "Its not about what you deserve. It's about the love I have for you."
"Dad, she doesn't deserve your forgiveness! How many times has she made the same mistakes. How many times will you forgive her only for her to hurt and disobey you 10 more times. She's never going to change!" That's me. That's my pain and hurt and bitterness and pride shouting. Accusing. And I want my dad to give up on her, I want him to make her hurt like we hurt. I want her to be punished, I want her to live with all the baggage we live with because of her. But... He turns his face to her, and he loves her. He loves her. And I see him look at her, and in her eyes he sees himself. She is a part of him, and he will never let her go. He will never give up on her. He will never stop forgiving her. He will never stop protecting her. He will never stop choosing to believe the best about her. He will never stop sacrificing everything he has for her. And that's love. And my dad says, "No, there's goodness in her. There's hope. I believe in her."
Years and years before this scene in our living room, there's another dad sitting in a another living room with his own sons. One of his Son's sits there with tears welled in his eyes begging for forgiveness. He's shaking and trembling and pleading and begging his father to save the souls of man. Across from him sits the accuser. The accuser says, "No! They don't deserve another chance. Look at them. They are full of hate and rage and war. They tear each other apart. They let each other starve in the streets. They reject the needy and care only for themselves. How many times have they turned their backs on you. How many times have they hurt you and murdered you in their hearts. They deserve death and punishment-justice." The dad turns to his face to his son. In his son he sees himself. His son is a part of him and he will never let him go. "It's not about what you deserve", he says. He extends his hand to his son. "It's about the only thing that can heal the son's of man. It's about the love that I have for you."
And with the words of those fathers, every accuser is crushed under the weight of a father's love for his son's and daughter's. It's the forgiveness and love of the first dad, that gave my dad the power to extend the same love and forgiveness. And we have the same power in us. The power to forgive. The power to forgive over and over and over again. Because that is justice-that is love-that's the power of a father.
So look into someone's eyes and see yourself. Remember the love of the father and say, "Its not about what you deserve. It's about the love I have for you."
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