Love Deprivation

“Breathe! Breathe!” I screamed internally as hard as I could as I watched my little one fight to grasp a breath of air. I knew what it was to have difficulty breathing, growing up I was asthmatic as a child. My heart grieved within my chest, knowing there was nothing more I could do except let the doctor do his work. I could not begin to imagine what I would do if something happened to my bundle of joy. Love was a word I used in many relationships. Until this one I don’t think I ever really understood what it was to give a completely unconditional love without looking for something in return. It was a long night.

My patience was tried and I wanted to rest, however just waiting to hear what the doctor had to say kept me up. I thought of all the things I should have done but either failed to do or just made excuses at the time.

I said a silent prayer to God asking for everything to be alright and promised I would spend more time, and pay more attention once He allowed everything to be alright. An hour seemed like ten, and two like an eternity had passed. Finally I saw the approach of a white robe. I was uncertain if it was the same doctor until he stood right in front of me and said everything was alright.  It was a slight case of pneumonia the doctor went on to say.  He further explained the cause of what possibly caused it but I only heard everything would be alright. I thanked God in my heart and could not wait to see my baby and know she would be alright. I paid attention to the doctor’s explanation and the medication he said to buy. The words I had been waiting to hear all-night finally came. “You can take her home,” he said.

The words echoed in my heart and I was awash with joy knowing my little one was going to be alright and she was coming home.

When we finally arrived home, I quickly wrapped her up and took her inside to avoid any night air getting on her.  As I laid her down to sleep, my attention was drawn to the news report on the television. Apparently, a mother was being tried for killing her child and burying the child’s body in the woods. It was a story that happened in the United States. I looked at my little one now sleeping calmly and breathing a lot clearer than she was hours before and a tear rolled down my cheek.  Just from the thought of her not being able to breathe my heart was grieved, how much more to have her life taken or even worse to take her life by my own hand. I was dismayed and completely traumatized to think how any parent could be so cruel to deprive their child of life and more so love.

 A Moment of Clarity

As little children of God, He is constantly grieved to see us hurt or in pain when He would so willing pour His love as a river of living water into our lives. Even more so how often do we grieve God even further when we fail to love one another and give God the opportunity to use us to pour love into the lives of others and even our own.  We look around us and see crime constantly increasing and becoming more violent. Unemployment, poverty and depravity becoming the norm, and we would ask where is love in any of this. Christ said all the laws and rules were summed up in two commands. Love God with all you are and have and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

During this season and time that romantic love is so celebrated a lot of time we get caught up in the material aspect, worrying about what gift we will get and completely forget the spirit of the season.  In the world we live in today, it is a deprivation of sincerely genuine love in our homes, relationships, communities that has caused us to be in the trouble we see all around us. To coin a phrase, “Hurt people, Hurt people.” I encourage you during this time of Valentine and love to remember the beauty of love. For simply God is love. Love one another with sincerity and allow God to use your lives as a fountain to pour His love through. As we work and toil to fill each home with love and stave off the overflow of love deprivation that exists in our world to today let each of us be grateful for each moment of life you are given and learn to be everyday a Beacon of Light.

 Beam of Light for the Week 

There is nothing more powerful than a bond forged out of love. Love is what holds the planets, stars and universe in place, so I encourage you to forge everlasting bonds filled with love today.