The Sending

How often do you say the word “love” in a day? The other day I said it 13 times. At times I used it appropriately by telling someone I love them, and I truly do love them. Most times I bantered it about saying I “loved” someone’s earrings, I “loved” the honey walnut shrimp at Panda Express, I “loved” vegging on the couch watching Netflix, I “loved” Michigan Cherry decaf coffee, and I “loved” my warm, fuzzy kitty cat slippers I put on at the end of a long day. Oh, there were more, but you get my point.

This being the week in Advent where we focus on love, and love is such a strong theme for Christmas, I decided I need to get out my thesaurus and find other words for “love” unless it meant truly loving someone. Truly loving someone. Truly loving someone like God truly loves us. Remember John 3: 16 - 17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Amazing that God can love like that!

My oldest son Jason went to India and Nepal with Lutheran Youth Encounter’s Rainbow of Promise Music Ministry team. I did not, per se, send him. He went when asked to go. Yet, it was hard to see him leave the safety of life here. I feared Nepal - not India so much. All those mom fears loomed in my mind especially since I could not talk to him and letters take a long time and where to send them as they traveled the countryside. He did return. I finally breathed again when I hugged him that first time I saw him afterwards.

Can you imagine being God the Father and letting your son go, sending him to us in a crazy world? I cannot, but I do know that I am eternally grateful for that gift of life that “sending” brought. We might say that God the Father knew the ending so there’s that, but still I cannot imagine. I can only say that is love. Love for his Son and love for all people. To that I say thank you and to God be the glory as I sit in worship Christmas Eve adoring the little baby in the manger.

Jason on Rainbow of Promise Music Ministry Team in India and Nepal