I turned toward him and smiled, a smile that always came easily when he was near. "I love you too, Grandpa!"
They were the last words we would speak to each other. It was fitting, for that brief exchange essentially encompassed the entirety of our relationship. Grandpa and I adored each other. Simple as that. We never had deep discussions about the intricacies of life. He never told me stories about his childhood. We just loved to be together, whether it was sitting at the table sipping coffee in the morning, or eating ice cream on the couch while watching Jeopardy at night.
My love for Grandpa was partly selfish, I'll admit. It was easy to love him, because he loved me. It was a love I never questioned. I just knew--I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. I don't recall him ever speaking an unkind word to me. He was by no means a perfect man, but so secure was I in his love and so completely did I love him in return, I was willing to overlook every fault of his in an instant.
Since Grandpa died, I've been spending a lot of time considering what exactly made me feel so close to him, though we only saw each other once a year. And I realized that for me, Grandpa mirrored an essential aspect of God's love. 1 John 4:19 declares, "We love because he first loved us." I loved Grandpa because he loved me first, from the time I was a child. The knowledge that he loved me, the security I felt in that, fueled my love for him.
God loves us more completely and fiercely than any human ever could. If we could grasp that truth, or even a meager portion of it, our lives would be utterly changed. It's not a striving kind of love. It's not an always-trying-to-be-good-enough kind of love. It's a climb-up-in-His-lap-and-simply-enjoy-being-with-Him kind of love.
When someone loves us like that, it's an easy thing to love in return. In being loved, we learn how to love. I know, because Grandpa helped teach me.
My love for Grandpa was partly selfish, I'll admit. It was easy to love him, because he loved me. It was a love I never questioned. I just knew--I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. I don't recall him ever speaking an unkind word to me. He was by no means a perfect man, but so secure was I in his love and so completely did I love him in return, I was willing to overlook every fault of his in an instant.
Since Grandpa died, I've been spending a lot of time considering what exactly made me feel so close to him, though we only saw each other once a year. And I realized that for me, Grandpa mirrored an essential aspect of God's love. 1 John 4:19 declares, "We love because he first loved us." I loved Grandpa because he loved me first, from the time I was a child. The knowledge that he loved me, the security I felt in that, fueled my love for him.
God loves us more completely and fiercely than any human ever could. If we could grasp that truth, or even a meager portion of it, our lives would be utterly changed. It's not a striving kind of love. It's not an always-trying-to-be-good-enough kind of love. It's a climb-up-in-His-lap-and-simply-enjoy-being-with-Him kind of love.
When someone loves us like that, it's an easy thing to love in return. In being loved, we learn how to love. I know, because Grandpa helped teach me.
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