The ways of God’s love

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“Love is the greatest thing that God can give us; for he himself is

love: and it is the greatest thing we can give to God.”

-- JEREMY TAYLOR

Last week after church, I walked around the church patio to have a

cup of coffee and to connect with some friends. As I waited in line

for the coffee, I watched a little girl who was in the line near me,

waiting to get some water.

She wore a pink and red jumper over a white turtleneck with little

red hearts around the neck. She had a pink bow in her hair, pink

cheeks and wore little pink boots. She had bright blue eyes that

sparkled like a neon sign and a great big smile.

She looked up at her father and sweetly said, “Daddy, I made a

Valentine card for God. Do you think God will send one to me too?”

She held some colored papers from Sunday School and, though I

didn’t see them, I imagine that some of them had hearts or Valentines

on them, including the one that she mentioned making for God.

Her father looked at her and then around the church patio, up at

the sky and then back at her.

He cleared his throat and then answered, “Well sweetheart, we know

that God loves you, and I bet he wants to send some special love to

you this Valentine’s Day, but I think it won’t come in the mail, or

like other Valentines. But let’s just keep looking for the different

ways God shows his love for you.”

They were almost to the front of the line to get their water, and

I was at the front of my line for coffee.

As I filled my cup, I heard the little girl say, “OK, Daddy. OK,

let’s look together.”

They then went in one direction, and I went the other to find my

friends, but I’ve thought about that little interchange several times

since then.

One day on a morning walk I began singing the chorus to a song I

enjoy: “Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart. I

want to see you, I want to see you.” As I sang those words, I thought

about the father telling his daughter to look for the different ways

God shows His love.

One friend said she feels God’s love through nature, and I agree

that nature is one of the many ways he manifests his love. One recent

afternoon, I parked and sat on a bench and stared at the ocean. My

busy mind was silenced by the awesome power of the pounding waves on

the sand.

My body was both warmed by the sun and refreshed by a gentle

breeze that seemed to be a loving whisper from God, saying, “I love

you even more than everything you see, Cindy.”

I sat there a little longer, listening to the waves and the

cheerful songs of the birds. Then I watched the sun, which slowly

began to slip down and spread across the horizon before its colors

melted and disappeared. I thanked God for the sunset and the

assurance that it would rise again tomorrow.

Whether or not it is Valentine’s Day, or any day, God will show

his love for us in many ways, but we may need to ask him to open the

eyes of our heart. May we also show our love for him in return.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.