Great Delight

Parenting three young children has been an eye-opener in my faith in God. I am often astounded at how God can love me in spite of my short-comings and disobedience, yet I know the strength of my love for my own offspring in the same circumstances, and it gives me a glimpse into the heart of God: his unconditional love, his forgiveness, his mercy and grace.

Yesterday, a verse I memorized from the Bible when I was a teenager came back to me in a brand new way as I rocked with my nearly-one-year-old baby and sang to him, soaking in his sweet smile as we snuggled.

"The Lord your God is with you...

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

What a beautiful picture of love that is! These words could have been written about me and my baby boy in that moment, and I am so grateful for that perspective. But today I am newly astounded that this is a picture God's love for me.