Feeling Loved

This cute little darling of a 4^th grader, with a big smile, cheerfully glided into the kids’ class where I was helping on Sunday morning. The lesson was on LOVE, and during our small group time, I asked, “When was the last time you felt loved?”

“I haven’t felt loved for a while” said the cute little blonde haired, green-eyed darling 4^th grader, “my parents are getting divorced and I haven’t felt loved for a very long time.”

My heart broke for this child! I wanted to take her home. I often want to do that, but, as you can imagine, it’s just not allowed. Kids aren’t puppies and you just can’t take them home when you find one cute. Come to think of it, my husband won’t let me take puppies home either. We already have a dog and I didn’t do that good of a job training her. At least my kids turned out better than the dog.

Moving on…

I didn’t want this little girl to feel isolated and alone and I wanted her to know she would get through it, even though it’s hard. I asked the other kids, “How many of you have experienced divorce?” Hands went up, as I suspected they would. I told all the kids that adults go through difficult times, too, and that we are all broken and need Jesus. I let the girls know that adults go through adult stuff, and it is not their fault. (Sadly, many kids feel responsible for their parents split.)

More importantly, I told the girls that God was always there for them, no matter what.

When was the last time you felt loved?

When was the last time you showed love?

I’ll go first. As I write this, my husband is on his way home to do a radio show with me for my book.

Every day he comes home I feel loved.

I feel loved that he came home. But on Sunday when I asked that question the first thing that popped into my head was what happened on Saturday morning…

My husband needed to get his truck smog checked and he didn’t ask me to go with him. I felt so loved! I did. He knows if he had asked, I would have gone with him, but he didn’t ask. He knew I was really tired—and in the throws of catching a cold, although we didn’t know that at the time—and he didn’t ask me to join him. I felt so loved. I knew that he knew I would have gone, and yet, he thought not of himself, but of me, in not asking. I noticed and felt loved.

I ask you again, When was the last time you felt loved?

Sometimes all we have to do is notice the many loving things we would ordinarily dismiss.

And if you can’t think of any, know God is there for you. He fills in the gaps when our hearts need care and attention. For it is God who can fill us continually and always, a person can never do that for us. Once God fills us, then we are ready to fill others.

And now, I’ll ask this question again:

When was the last time you showed love?

As for me, after returning home last night with my husband, it was late and we were tired. We had an amazing experience on the Frank Sontag show, KKLA 99.5 FM and I felt so thankful that my husband came with me. Mike was honest and real and a real trooper telling our story without regard for himself or how he’d be perceived.

And here’s the great news y’all:

We’ve been asked back in April after my book release. When we arrived home, I was so grateful and kept asking my husband, What can I do for you? I would have done anything—and I mean anything.

I made him dinner and doted on him the rest of the night to the best of my ability. And I put my phone away!

Did he feel loved? I guess, only he could answer that, but I sure hope so. Maybe I’ll ask him when he gets home tonight. Maybe I’ll do the same tonight. Maybe…

Show someone you love how much you love them today.

And please pre-order my book if you haven’t already, From Me to We: A Premarital Guide For the Bride- and Groom- to- Be at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Christianbook.com.

Fondly,

Lu