We play this game, my kids and I. A game of extravagant, one-upmanship designed to color in the vibrant shades of how we feel about it each other. We use our favorite word crayons, markers and finger paints to spell out our feelings:
I love you more than pizza.
I love you more than dump trucks.
I love you more than tractors.
I love you more than lions.
And the ultimate, ultimate: I love you more than chocolate milk.
We wrap our word love in tight monkey hugs around each other. We squeeze hard. And keep trying to out do each other in sheer volume and extravagance:
I love you more than airplanes.
I love you more than ice cream.
I love you more than the zoo.
I love you more than my bear.
The declarations come hard and fast and with each new one I watch as my kids fill up to the brim with this powerful and empowering word.
Love.
To be loved.
When last did you hear it? Did you believe it?
Why is this word so much easier for grown ups to give than to receive? I believe it when I say it to my kids. I believe it all the way down to my pinky toes then. I believe Jesus loves them and I know that I would step in front of a bus for them without a second thought. But when last did I receive that kind of love?
When did I actually accept it without trying to shrug it off with a counter offer of how unlovely I am?
I‘m exploring this over at (in) courage today. Won’t you grab a straw and come join me? Just click here.
This is so great! Luke and I play this game just about every day! Now I can say “what do I love you more than?” and he says “frapaccinos”. Then he tells me that he loves me more than trash cans that talk. Now sure how to take that one, but I still love it! What a great post! Hope you are well!
This one made me cry. I play this with my kid and can soooo relate to feeling unlovable, but as you said so eloquently that God loves ME too.
this line: “And I’m crying because I feel so unlovely and so loved at the same time”
this is so true and also how i tend to live my life, feeling unlovely to the Lord and myself, and yet tremblingly, fearing, i believe in my innermost self that i am Loved. it takes full-on grace to believe it most days, and i cling to the times that i do bask in those words,that knowledge.
this was a beautiful post, i’m so glad i saw you over at (in)courage today!
I left a comment over at (in)courage on this post. Love it! Just thought I’d let you know that I added your blog to my reader. Good stuff here!
Wonderful, sweet post. :)
Oh, this is so good!! Thank you so much for sharing, what a blessing!! I am adding your to my blog reads..I will be back! Take care and God bless! xo
I play this with my husband. I love him more than cupcakes, more than lattes, more than creme brulee.
I never stopped to think that God loves me more than desiring His Son to never suffer on my behalf. This was wonderful.
It’s easier for me to receive this than to actually say and mean it. We had this over “i love you” family growing up. Like every time we woke up, went to bed, got off the phone. So for me – as an adult – I’ve been much more choosy about when I say it – so it actually is very meaningful and intentional. I like it better that way, though when it actually comes out of my mouth, it leaves me feeling uber-vulnerable. Like I said it to my husband last night and I was like, “oooo, i feel so revealed.”
strange. three little words
And I am crying because you said it so well and I felt it.
Hi, again. Can I say that I love this post. Love the fun idea of playing that game with your kids, and loved how God showed up to you personally through it. Love the Truth of how crazy-wild His love is for us . . . for me. What a powerful reminder. Thank you for writing this.
Checking to see if the comments are working right
Checking to see if I get this reply in the right order