Christ-like Love

I've often heard the comparison made between a mother's love for her child and Christ's love for us. It is all-encompassing, accepting, forgiving, protective, sacrificial, and immovable. Have you ever considered it being the other way around though? Have you ever thought that the love of your child for you was so forgiving and accepting that it moved you to tears? I had an experience this week with my 18-month old daughter that opened my eyes to how deep her love is for me, and I couldn't help but cry.

A few evenings ago, I was late in preparing dinner, it was taking a lot longer than it should, and everything was going wrong. I was in high-stress mode and reaching a heightened level of frustration. As soon as I'm entering the phase of cooking that is really hands on, my daughter abandons the toys she was occupying herself with, and heads over to my legs. She starts to say:
"Up, please."
Me: "I'm sorry, Sweetie, I can't pick you up right now. Mommy needs to finish this cooking."
"Up, please!"
"Honey, I can't pick you up right now. Where is your Elmo book? Can you find the Elmo book?"
(she didn't buy my efforts to distract her.)
"Up, please! Please! Please! Please!"
"Honey, I can't! Mommy needs to finish this."
"Please! Please! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!"
Then, I reacted in the absolutely wrong way. I raised my voice and said, "I can't pick you up right now! I'm sorry, but I need to finish this and then I'll pick you up!"
She was so confused as to why her mommy couldn't make time for her and why saying "please" didn't work and why I was yelling at her that she stood there and started sobbing with her head down. My heart felt as though it had been crushed, and I felt wretched for taking my frustration out on my little baby who didn't do anything wrong.

I find it important to point out here that if a similar situation had occured between two adults: one is asking something of the other, and the other overreacts, misplaces frustration, and displays anger towards the first, the individual would be mad for this unjust reaction, and probably hold some sort of grudge (at least for a short period of time), and possibly respond back with their own anger. However, my little toddler's reaction was just sadness and confusion. I washed my hands, knelt down with her and gave her a big hug. I apologized to her and told her that I was not angry or frustrated with her, that something else was bothering me and that it was very wrong for me to yell at her. She just clung onto me and hugged me so tightly. That was all I needed to know that I'd been forgiven already. It struck me hard that I do not deserve to have a little girl who has so much love for me and such a strong desire for my love back. I am a flawed person and a flawed mother but I still mean the world to her. I couldn't help but then marvel at the unfailing love of God. God's love is unbreakable and never-ending, and He desires so deeply for us to just love Him back. And whenever we turn away from Him and go our own way, He is waiting for us to face Him and reach out to Him again, and He embraces us again with His all-encompassing, accepting, forgiving, protective, sacrificial, and immovable love.