Zephaniah 3:17

Since reading The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg, I've seen Bible memorization in a completely new way. I used to see it as putting some Great Verse in my back pocket in order to pull it out someday, when applicable. Sort of a Sunday School pin mentality.

Now I am memorizing more slowly and meditating on each line of the verse, and choosing a verse that speaks to me right now. It's been an incredible spiritual experience.

I've been working on Zephaniah 3:17 for about a week, but yesterday it "blew up" for me in a completely new way. Until yesterday, I'd been really focusing on accepting God's love in this verse for myself as I go bravely into the unknown. That's still true, but after reading Families Where Grace is in Place and learning a lot about infant attachment, I'm seeing this verse a little differently.

The greatest job of a parent, I think I'm beginning to understand, is to be a model of God's love. We learn to love when God loves us, we learn to forgive when God forgives us, we learn about grace and parenting and guidance all because of Him, parenting us. Well, I think this verse may become my "life parenting verse." It's not just about how God is parenting me -- being with me, being capable of meeting my needs, taking delight in me, rejoicing over me. I'm wondering if it's about my job, too, as a parent. No, I can't be my kids' god, but I can be a picture of the God who's already given Himself for me. I can be the one who is with them, on their side, delighting in them, rejoicing over them and showing them that God does the same.

What a job.