As I sit in my quiet time, I always thank God for all He has blessed me with. One of my biggest blessings is a picture I glance at each morning. It is nothing fancy, but what makes it priceless to me are the three little ragamuffins smiling at me. They love me unconditionally, and I have to say the feeling is mutual. These three little ones can walk in my home and in a matter of ten seconds, pull out every toy Grandma has purchased. In that same ten seconds, they can eat me out of house and home, and then leave for their home leaving behind a very exhausted grandma. I am tired, but feeling so blessed at the same time. One of these little ones, I won’t mention names, accidentally dropped my favorite picture and put a crack right down the center of it. As I glance at this picture each morning, I tell myself, next time I go to the store I am going to replace the picture frame. It is one of those things I remember when I am at home and never remember when I am at the store.
One morning as I glanced at the picture and looked past the cracks and flaws to see those smiling faces, I felt God’s love. I realized that I love these three so much that I look past their little personality quirks each and every day. Even when they mess up my house, eat all my food and break my favorite picture frame, my heart is full of nothing but love for them. It dawned on me a grandma’s love is a small picture of what the Lord’s love is for each of us. No matter what we do, He looks at us through His picture frame of Love. He sees no cracks or flaws. He just sees a child He loves with all of His heart.
Love, true love, demands us to look beyond the cracks and flaws of those we love. It asks us to be patient when we are at the end of our rope. Love returns kindness when we are faced with unkindness. It does not want what others have and does not boast about what you have or who you are. It asks us to leave pride at the door and also our record keeping of wrongs that have been done to us. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. That is the love of a grandma towards her grandchildren and that is the Love of our Lord towards us. The true value of something is measured by how it withstands adversity. When we have to deal with all the hard times and difficult people we encounter, we can always know love will prevail. I have decided I am going to keep my cracked picture frame after all. Who knew a cracked picture frame could remind me each morning to love when it is difficult.
Lord, You waste nothing to teach us. You even use cracked picture frames!
