God - Parent, Sibling and Friend
I believe in a loving God. A God who is parent, sibling and friend – Father, Son & Holy Spirit - rolled into one. In an imperfect way my relationship with my own adult children is a metaphor for my relationship with God.
GOD THE PARENT. In my children’s life experience, I am the one who gave birth to them. When I held each one of them for the first time, I loved them completely. They did nothing to earn that love, my love was freely given to them. Like God, the parent, I rejoiced in their birth. I have been there holding them, caring for them, loving them, disciplining them, guiding them, listening to them, waiting for them to come home, delighting in time spent together. When they were children, my primary role was as mother. There were times when they were angry with me because, out of love, I disciplined them working to instill an internal discipline that they would be able to tap into when they were adults. At times they came to me because they were hurt and needed a kiss. Sometimes they came to me because they needed to climb into my lap for a hug and just a quiet moment with my arms around them. Sometimes they just wanted me to watch them. As they accomplished something, they would shout out the name they called me, “MOM”, to make sure I saw them. As adults they still call me and need me as mother. They will always be my children, but they are now adults. As adults, sometimes they don’t need a mother as much as a sister-in-Christ.
GOD THE SIBLING. I believe that God has no grandchildren. We are all sons and daughters of God. Therefore when God grants us the privilege of having a child we have the responsibility and honor of raising a sibling to be part of the Kingdom of God. Consequently, when each of my children turned 18, I began to think of them and walk with them as a “sister-in-Christ”. I now conclude all letters I write to them with “love, Mom, your sister-in-Christ”. Seeing those words written on paper helps me to also work on living it out in life. I am an older sister who has life experiences they can tap into. Often as adults, they need me, not as parent, but as an older sibling. Someone who will listen to them, care for them, talk through ideas, directions and possibilities and wants what is best for them but does not tell them what to do. They can turn to me as someone who has walked the walk, knows the feeling and can relate to them because of my life experience and because I have known them and loved them all of their life. But then there are those times when my children call and they just need a friend.
GOD THE FRIEND. My good friends are those people I’ve laughed with, cried with and walked with through various adventures, fun times and tough times in life. They’re the people who know my good side but also challenge me out of love to be the best I can be. They are the ones I can sit in silence with admiring an amazing sunrise or contemplating the flames in a campfire. They are the ones that even when I have not spoken to them for a while, I know they are there for me if needed just to listen or come over for a game night or assist in a project or situation. All I have to do is call. I am blessed with a husband whom I consider my best friend. Together we had the privilege of raising 4 children into adults with whom we now enjoy spending time. I love it when they call just to talk or ask to spend time with me, not as mom, but as friend. Just to be together and make another memory that solidifies our friendship.
My children call on me as Mother or Sister or Friend depending on the circumstance and their need. I’m still the same person but my role changes depending on that need. In the same way I call on God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit depending on the circumstance and my need. God is God but there are times when I call upon God in the role of Jesus Christ. Someone who has walked the walk here on earth and I believe can relate and shed light on what I am going through at the moment. Sometimes I call on God in the role of the Holy Spirit. I need a listening ear or a push in my life towards new circumstances or I just need a sense of a loving presence guiding me. Then there are times when I call out to God as Father wanting Him to be part of what is going on in my life or just because I need to crawl into His lap and feel His arms wrap around me in a warm, loving embrace.
I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - three in one - parent, sibling and friend.
GOD THE PARENT. In my children’s life experience, I am the one who gave birth to them. When I held each one of them for the first time, I loved them completely. They did nothing to earn that love, my love was freely given to them. Like God, the parent, I rejoiced in their birth. I have been there holding them, caring for them, loving them, disciplining them, guiding them, listening to them, waiting for them to come home, delighting in time spent together. When they were children, my primary role was as mother. There were times when they were angry with me because, out of love, I disciplined them working to instill an internal discipline that they would be able to tap into when they were adults. At times they came to me because they were hurt and needed a kiss. Sometimes they came to me because they needed to climb into my lap for a hug and just a quiet moment with my arms around them. Sometimes they just wanted me to watch them. As they accomplished something, they would shout out the name they called me, “MOM”, to make sure I saw them. As adults they still call me and need me as mother. They will always be my children, but they are now adults. As adults, sometimes they don’t need a mother as much as a sister-in-Christ.
GOD THE SIBLING. I believe that God has no grandchildren. We are all sons and daughters of God. Therefore when God grants us the privilege of having a child we have the responsibility and honor of raising a sibling to be part of the Kingdom of God. Consequently, when each of my children turned 18, I began to think of them and walk with them as a “sister-in-Christ”. I now conclude all letters I write to them with “love, Mom, your sister-in-Christ”. Seeing those words written on paper helps me to also work on living it out in life. I am an older sister who has life experiences they can tap into. Often as adults, they need me, not as parent, but as an older sibling. Someone who will listen to them, care for them, talk through ideas, directions and possibilities and wants what is best for them but does not tell them what to do. They can turn to me as someone who has walked the walk, knows the feeling and can relate to them because of my life experience and because I have known them and loved them all of their life. But then there are those times when my children call and they just need a friend.
GOD THE FRIEND. My good friends are those people I’ve laughed with, cried with and walked with through various adventures, fun times and tough times in life. They’re the people who know my good side but also challenge me out of love to be the best I can be. They are the ones I can sit in silence with admiring an amazing sunrise or contemplating the flames in a campfire. They are the ones that even when I have not spoken to them for a while, I know they are there for me if needed just to listen or come over for a game night or assist in a project or situation. All I have to do is call. I am blessed with a husband whom I consider my best friend. Together we had the privilege of raising 4 children into adults with whom we now enjoy spending time. I love it when they call just to talk or ask to spend time with me, not as mom, but as friend. Just to be together and make another memory that solidifies our friendship.
My children call on me as Mother or Sister or Friend depending on the circumstance and their need. I’m still the same person but my role changes depending on that need. In the same way I call on God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit depending on the circumstance and my need. God is God but there are times when I call upon God in the role of Jesus Christ. Someone who has walked the walk here on earth and I believe can relate and shed light on what I am going through at the moment. Sometimes I call on God in the role of the Holy Spirit. I need a listening ear or a push in my life towards new circumstances or I just need a sense of a loving presence guiding me. Then there are times when I call out to God as Father wanting Him to be part of what is going on in my life or just because I need to crawl into His lap and feel His arms wrap around me in a warm, loving embrace.
I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - three in one - parent, sibling and friend.
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