Within 48 hours of totally freaking out, I called him to say, “Sorry, honey! You know your wife goes crazy sometimes. Forgive me.” It took a conversation with someone where I told them how I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night to look for inventory for our business, and I realized that this is what my husband has been doing for years. I said to myself, ‘Wow, Nik, you have a great husband who works extremely hard to take excellent care of you and our kids. What do you have to complain about?’ I called him crying, and he responded something like, “We just have to keep forgiving each other. None of us are perfect.” And that’s the message for today, I believe from God that we must keep forgiving and loving each other.
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath for us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16
“You are a loving person,” a friend said to me the other day. Not on the level God wants us. Human love is entirely different from God’s kind of love, and He has been teaching me these painful love lessons. Like to not focus on the imperfections of others or ourselves. To instead see the good in them and what we’re capable of becoming, not past sins and mistakes. To continuously wipe the slates clean, giving mercy and grace and going the extra mile in love and kindness. Doing it all for the glory of God.
Honestly, sometimes though, that God kind of love gets pretty messy and dirty. And guess what God challenges us to do – jump in the dirt with it like a pig in mud, baby. We don’t throw it out because of its imperfections. We keep working on it, developing it, cleaning up the messes when necessary, and striving to be the faithful and loyal people God asks us to be.
Super tough? Hell, YES! But God will be our strength as we tackle these difficult love lessons in all our significant relationships. I tell my daughters that I’m their ride or die mama. Whatever we have to go through, I want them to know that they have a mom who will stand with them through thick and thin. So, even when we have our fights, they know it’s from a mom who loves and thinks the world of them.
