I Love You First

Psalm 78: 4,6 (NIV)
4 We will not hide them from their children;
     we will tell the next generation
     the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
     his power, and the wonders he has done.
6 so the next generation would know them,
     even the children yet to be born,
     and they in turn would tell their children.

Thank you all for your prayers this last week. Even though Gloria's health is failing quickly, she found the strength to have dinner at her favorite restaurant on what is certain to be her last birthday. Her daughter started on a quilt two weeks ago (and this photo is only a fraction of the entire thing). It has over 800 pieces in it. The photos on the quilt are her mom's descendants including the ultrasound of the newest one on the way. There are many miracles associated with the creation of this quilt, but just that fact that a woman with a full-time job could do this much work in two weeks is a miracle in itself.

As the gift was presented at the restaurant, with Gloria's favorite songs playing over the speakers and the entire wait and cook staff of the restaurant huddled around, she opened the biggest box and pulled out this enormous quilt. Gloria cried. Her daughter cried. The wait staff cried. Her dad left to go outside (and cry).

In the buzz of accolades and compliments which followed, the daughter felt an emptiness she couldn't explain. There was something missing. She was waiting for something more, but couldn't figure it out. It puzzled her for a moment. And just then Gloria reached over to hold her daughter's head in her hands, just like she used to do when she was a little girl, and said three little words, "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

And Mom, looking deep into her little girl's eyes, said slowly "I know you do."

At that instant, she knew she had heard what was missing. All she wanted to hear from her mom all these years were three unprompted words. All she wanted was to hear her mom say "I love you" first.

That's all my wife needs to hear. She needs to hear me say "I love you" unconditionally, without prompting.

That's probably all my daughter's need to hear.

That's probably all the people we love need to hear the most.

The miracle quilt and the stories of unconditional love will live on. These stories become a treasure of our past offered as a gift to our future. Like the Psalmist wrote, these deeds of love will become treasured family heirlooms. And we will not hide the wonders the Lord has done from our children, their children, or the generations yet unborn.