It seemed to take forever to get on the road today. I guess that’s pretty common when you’re excited, anticipating some long-awaited, when-can-I-open-my-presents kind of event. Or in our case a hodge-podge mixture of anticipation, sadness at leaving family, and sheer dread at what we were heading into.
Kel and Christina were packing up as well. The kids were afoot, wanting to play and not understanding the why of everyone’s sudden sense of urgency after two weeks of “hurrication.” Even the dogs knew something was up. Josh’s church had brought over the supplies they collected and were now gone. Finally, after seemingly endless rounds of hugs and goodbyes, we were off.
Around six PM we arrived in Clear Lake and were received with open arms by the people of University Baptist Church. Within minutes we had the key to a guy’s house, several offers for supper, and directions to where we were to meet Nathan and April. And that meeting was absolutely one of the highlights of the trip. Even more so than the truck driver who almost ran Chris off the road! It was a joy for me to see the look of delight, relief, and pure Mommy-love in Chris’ eyes when she saw them for the first time since the storm.
She hugged them tightly, not wanting to let go of her baby and our precious new daughter-in-law and that unseen, I-know-you’re-in-there granddaughter, Calynn. OK, I confess, so did I. I barely remember eating my chicken fried steak. We spent hours swapping horror stories and making plans for our “re-entry” the next day. Sleep came easy that night as we slumped into an actual bed for the first time in days.
I don’t think I’ll ever understand completely the love a mother has for her child. How can something be so beautifully tender and nurturing on the one hand, and so fiercely defiant of any outside force that threatens that child in any way? Now, I love my boys, but where does that come from? 1 John 4:7-10 says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
Wow, Father. As awed as I am by mother-love, it’s hard to even conceive that that love came from something … someone … even greater. Your love actually trumps mother-love. Mind-boggling. Empower me – us – to love like you. In the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.
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