One of the most difficult spiritual lessons I’ve ever had to learn is that God loves me unconditionally, no matter what I do or don’t do. It is so much easier for me to think that I can at least partially earn God’s love and approval through my good works. After all, my thinking goes, I am so often a good girl. Surely that should win me some “sky miles” or points towards heaven?
My stubborn unwillingness to relax into God’s grace has hampered my spiritual growth and has made me often, I am certain, judgmental, self-righteous, and difficult to live with.
But I get a glimpse of God’s unconditional love for me when I think about my grandchildren. Each of them is a wonder and a delight to me. When Elijah (three and a half) shows me the magna-tile house he has made, I feel so glad that he is sharing his accomplishments with me. When Hanah (five and a half) tells me that she has learned to climb across all the monkey bars at school, I feel so proud of her achievement (that’s a long way for a little girl), and so happy to see her conquering a part of her world. When Aria (seventeen months) toddles up to me with a big smile, I feel pure joy.
I also completely understand the rare occasions when Hanah is mean to her little brother or Elijah throws things or Aria roars. They are human beings, after all, like the rest of us. I certainly do not expect perfection from them. And on the occasions when one of them melts down it never occurs to me to love them any less.
How awful and strange it would be, if one of them were to run up to me one day, wringing their hands and saying, “Grandma, Grandma, please love me. I know I’m not perfect and I make mistakes but I’ll try harder, just please, please love me.”
How much it would sadden me that they wouldn’t know how much I already love them, and that they would somehow think they had to earn my approval and love.
That they wouldn’t understand that I love them deeply and will always love them, just as they are.
So… If I love my grandchildren so very much, a love that has nothing to do with what they accomplish or how they act… This must be how God, the Creator of Unconditional Love, must love me. And you. And Hanah. And Elijah. And Aria. And every other person in this world.
And so perhaps the deepest spiritual truth that any of us ever need to learn and remember is summed up in this simple theological statement.
“If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.”
Max Lucado