Her name means pure love. She is the fifth in the maternal line with the heritage name of Kathryn, translating “pure” in the Greek language. Kathy and I determined to pair the name with the Latin word for “love.” Let me say, the child is well-named.
She came in the early days of November, in the early hours of the morning, on her exact due date. The trip to the hospital was cold and clear, and the stars lit the heavens. Even my frantic mode of make-it-to-the-hospital could not overshadow God’s glory on that fourth day of the harvest month. My brain registered the extraordinary weather because it seemed to me the stuff of miracles. A day, I knew, would change my life forever, and everything around me affirmed it.
Louisiana in November can feel like May or September, sometimes like July. Weather is warm or hot, and the seasons are dry or wet. Even though Louisiana, in many ways, holds the best heart-memories for me, generally the weather is not among them. But this day stands out as close to perfect. I felt blessed in the way I’ve only felt four times in my life—being a father was always my heart’s desire. I thanked God as I drove through the pre-dawn landscape.
I am recording this memory on Valentine’s Day in my sixth decade. You will know, dear readers, that some days are not to be forgotten, and time does not dull their recollection. On the birth day of my first daughter, I was reminded of the Father’s love for me in the most powerful of ways.
It should not be hard to understand the love of God. The number of the “very hairs” of my ever-thinning head of hair are known by Him. He is my salvation—gentle and trustworthy, working to transform me into His image. How glorious. How loving.
My daughter has fair hair and blue eyes, and she favors neither Kathy nor me and yet both of us. She is petite, artistic, musical. She is fearless to try new pursuits, and she is quick to share kindness to all. In some ways, she takes after each of us; in most ways, she is truly one of a kind. My Amie’s best description is also the meaning of her name—that February word. The word that is defined over and over in scripture as it applies to the very character of God.
God’s love is patient and kind. He does not envy, does not boast, and is not proud. God’s love does not dishonor others. He is not self-seeking or easily angered. He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil. He rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always believes, always hopes, always perseveres. God is love—He never fails.
My child exhibits the pure love spoken of in the Bible when Jesus tells His disciples to become as little children. Memories of her growing years retell joy in the everyday, a fascination with nature, the desire to please, her penchant to explore, her need to emulate the best in others. Her exuberance found in raising her arms, hands upward, and spinning like a ballerina. Her smile delights now as then. Even in pain, she smiles trustingly; she knows her Savior personally.
At her re-birth day, I had a front-row seat and watched her pastor ease her into the baptismal waters and back up again as a new creation. She came up smiling, seeking my face. How blessed to be a father and witness such a momentous wonder. Even now, I rejoice that she joins her Lord on any path He takes her. How blessed I am to understand the Father’s love because He gave me the task of being a father. What a responsibility to practice love in action.
God’s love never wanes. He promises to be with me wherever I go, giving me rest and strength of heart. He gives me everything I need and meets my needs “according to the riches of His glory.”
Of course, I know my love springs from the love bubbling up from God’s love. And yet loving the ones He gives me provides practice every day to delve deeper into the mystery of pure love, to draw closer, to lean into the Spirit as I’m transformed into the image of Jesus.
In her third decade, my daughter continues to surprise me with her capacity for love. Out of the blue, she texts me words of encouragement from her reading of God’s word. At our lunch dates, she shares how her Savior is at work in her life. She includes me in her adult life, she nurtures our relationship, she values the person I am. She still calls me “Daddy.”
I claim the truth of John’s assertion that “we love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). I humbly add that experiencing my daughter’s love inspires me to love more fully those around me—helping me better understand God’s love.
And so, dear friends, I greet you with love. The love that comes from the One God who is love.
Written by Jim Edminson, Editor of Charity & Children