A question was asked of me years ago by a young lady in her early twenties. “Would you love me the same if I?”… Before I finish this let me explain. This young lady had just reconnected with a former boyfriend whom she had broken-up with years earlier. The mother of this boy did not like her….at all. She made it clear to this young lady she wanted nothing to do with her nor did she want her son to have anything to do with her.
This devastated my young friend. She continually tried to make amends and had hoped she would be forgiven for her mistakes of the past. After all, they both had made mistakes in the relationship. Amends was not happening. So she asked me during a phone conversation one day as I was driving back home on a busy afternoon. “
Michelle, would you love me the same if I made this mistake with your son?”
Of course I never imagined I would have to actually deal with this scenario. I said, “Yes of course I would. I love you for who you are not what you do?” Now I have come to find out that our Lord reminds us of comments we make to grow us in our character to truly become more “Christ-like.”
Several years later a turn of events occurred. This young lady, whom I adored and secretly wanted her to one day become my daughter-in-law, began dating my son! Bliss for us all until…….mistake patterns have a way of reoccurring in life until we get it right. This mistake resurfaced in her relationship with my son.
I witnessed the tears and anger this produced in my son and this momma’s heart was crushed for her boy. He had loved this girl since he met her in high school. She couldn’t have someone to love her or be more devoted to her than my son! Didn’t she see what she had right before her eyes? What is she thinking? Exasperated, these thoughts would run through my mind as often as cars would travel I-24 from Kentucky to Nashville!
Oh boy. Flash….that question…my response….vroom vroom vroom….my previous rampant thoughts were soon replaced with, “Would you….if I?” “Would you love me….if I?” “Would you love me the same if I?”…
Ponder…ponder…ponder…oh ok Jesus….I got it. My knees hit the floor. Lord, fill me with love and forgiveness in my heart. Forgive me of allowing this anger for my son’s hurt to turn my thoughts inward and not upward. Help me to reaffirm my love for her. In Jesus name, Amen.
2 Corinthians 2:7-11, “So that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him (her) italics mine. For to this end also I wrote, so that I put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. (NASB).
Fast forward. My son married this beautiful girl December 6, 2013. Praises to the King.
Written By: Michelle Hawkins
December 10, 1990, Michelle Hawkins accepted Jesus as her personal Savior. Her life took a dramatic turn from being raised as a Jehovah’s Witness to becoming a Christian saved by grace. His beautiful scars healed mine.
Founder and Director of Generations Adult Day Services, Michelle Hawkins earned her degree in Social Work from Murray State University. Michelle has currently branched into writing blogs, teaching women’s classes on “confident discipleship ” and speaking at conferences.Her passion to study the living word of our God and Savior Jesus Christ is her passion. She is the wife to Steve and mother/stepmother to 5 kids a Rat Terrier and 2 cats.
Michelle loves running with her husband–or more accurately behind–and has a passion for learning the word of God and applying its truth to her everyday life. She finds her most recent calling–ministering to the oppressed and broken hearted–something she can press into with personal knowledge. Luke 4-18-19, describes her desire to set the captive free through Jesus Christ.
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