(I love this picture because they were looking into each other's eyes...)
(This picture is the second or third day Noah was in the hospital.)So, the other morning I wanted to squeeze Em so hard and shout it from the rooftops how much I love her. Here's how it came out...
Me: Em, I love you SOOOOO much! I love you as big as the universe!
Em: Mom, do you love me more than God?
Me: No, Em, I don't...I'm not allowed to. He's pretty clear on that.
(Em drops her head and turns from me...)
Me: I don't even love daddy as much as God, or Noah, or anybody. You know what? I love you as big as I possibly can, though! As much as I can love you, I do! I love you AS big as the universe...I love God BIGGER than the Universe.
Em: I love you as big as the universe, too!
Thankfully it turned out better than I had imagined once the "No, Em, I don't" rolled off my lips...
Teaching her the first great commandment at a very young age. How blessed you are God opened up this opportunity to you to do so and reinforce it. God if good!!!
ReplyDeleteLove these two pictures. I'm sure Sunday was a little difficult for you and yours.
Susan
This is great, Adrienne. I had a different take on that situation when I was telling my 5 year old son that I love him "lots & lots & lots & lots & lots....!" I was giggling, and he said, "Well, Mommy, you shouldn't!" "Why not?" I asked him. "Because you should love God MUCH more than you love me!" "Oh, I do, Honey!" I told him. And he replied that he loved me very much, but he loves Jesus much more than me, too. "That's the way it's supposed to be!" I said. :-) Neat to hear you're having the opportunity to discuss that with your sweet girl, too! God is good...
ReplyDeleteIn His grace,
Jodie in the UK
Thinking of you and praying for the 'right' people (person) to find your house today and be blessed by the wonderful memories when they move in.
ReplyDeleteLove and miss you, cb
What darling pictures. You did a great job back peddling out of that difficult question. What about saying, "I love God most because God is the one who created you, Daddy and Noah." Then, she can maybe get a grasp on how awesome God really is!
ReplyDeleteEmily is such a cutie! This is Jennifer P. but I changed my comment name incase you were wondering who was commenting! Hope all is going well with you guys and praying that your house sells soon! Take care Adrienne!
ReplyDeletea great example of how when we open our mouths, God will provide the words to bring glory to His Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteI soooo love the picture of your babies looking at each other.
I was praying my heart out for you on Sunday... a day filled with extreme joy and sadness.
How ironic! Jackson and I had a similar conversation this morning. I was remembering a bedtime long, long ago...when I was maybe 5 years old...when I was asking my mom if she loved me more than God. She said she wasn't supposed to but she was pretty sure she did. That impacted me greatly...I thought for a long time that it must be impossible to love God more than your family. This morning, as I was thinking that I do, in fact, love God more than I love Jackson, that I wanted to explain it to Jackson because I want him to love God more than he loves me. So we talked about it and at first, he also put his head down, but the Holy Spirit must have given me the right words because he embraced me and said...Mom, I know you love me THIS much and he stretched out his arms.
ReplyDeleteyour honesty with her may sometimes be shocking to both her and others, but you will never regret teaching her the TRUTH of Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteso many parents are worried about damaging self-esteem and being their child's best friend that they stumble on those tough questions...emily is miles ahead because of your great love for her.
the cool part is that just as you love God more than her, God loves her more than you do too.
Thanks for preparing me for this conversation. What a great girl Emily is to understand the magnitude of Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteI think your kids are so beautiful. I love that one Noah looking at whoever's holding him, and Emily, looking like an old movie star.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand you love god more than your own child....:-(
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I don't believe in god..
Patricia,
ReplyDeleteI can certainly understand why this concept would not make sense to you if you don't believe in God. :-) That being said, I'm curious if your comment is just that...a comment that you'd like to leave without further conversation? Or if you'd like to discuss it? Are you truly interested in knowing how that could be possible, and not be a "bad" thing? If so, I'd be happy to "talk" with you about it. You can e-mail me at richterjodie@yahoo.com. If not...no pressure. ~Jodie
God created man, just like He created animals. But, He created man just a little lower than the angels.....with a soul that can live forever, but a body that will wear out. God gave man the capacity to grasp and accept the things He created in the spiritual world....and the right to accept or reject their existence. Each person has the capacity to be just a little lower than the angels, by accepting God's life within them by the Holy Spirit, or to reject it and let themselves operate simply as a human animal.
ReplyDeleteWhen we accept that God is a Father, and He created humans to have relationship with Him, we begin to love Him, because we have a "Father/child" relationship with Him. He is the One Who enables us to love others beyond our own "human animal" ability to love. If we don't love and trust Him, above all others, including our natural parents, spouses, and off-spring, we lose the ability to love and forgive and find joy in them, regardless of how they act or what they do, and we begin to react to them according to our human animal nature. Adrienne can love her husband, parents, children and friends because she loves God more than she loves any of them.
I pray that God will show Himself real to all those who don't know whether He really exists....those who want to know the truth. There are things that humans can't see with their natural eyes...they don't exist or fail to exist just because humans say so.
Adrienne...it is great that your little girl is learning about the Lord at a very early age. My 2 year old loves going to Church. She knows that you love her. By the way...I love the pics!!!
ReplyDeleteMary Geeslin
For those of us who didn't have the privilege of hearing you speak on Sunday, did you happen to write your speech, and if so, how about posting it!
ReplyDeleteI love how your blog, you thoughts brings us all closer to Our Lord and Savior even if some of us don't know him yet!
ReplyDeleteSusan
Great post on the 17th, Ade. You always inspire me beyond words. As you know, it is indeed our duty, and pleasure, to love Him above all. The way I see it, loving Him is really loving everyone (I hope this is scrpturally sound??) I picture the love I have for Him flowing out to all those He loves - everyone! And when He receives our love it goes through this supernatural filter and is made perfect, then it is spread out to folks we may never reach on our own.
ReplyDeleteAny way, I love ya sister and I'm glad you keep this blog. It sure touches me and helps to increase my faith.
Miss you friend. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo, cb