Love for a Father

Today my beloved returns home!!!

The girls awoke and immediately dressed in their prettiest and fanciest of dresses (all without Momma prompting them too). They LOVE their Daddy and anxiously await his return. They want to look beautiful for him.

I had to think about it. You know, I too dress up pretty to look nice for my beloved. I too anxiously await his return and want to look beautiful for him.

I wonder if my children learn love for their Daddy by watching my love for him? Yes, their Daddy loves them, and when someone loves you it is natural to return love for them. But all the extras in the HOWs seem to come across through watching me.

I believe the same is true about our heavenly Father. While "we love Him because He first loved us," I believe while they are young, they learn how to love Him by first watching our love for Him. And just think about how if we knew the day of His return?!?! Would we dress in our fanciest of dresses and look beautiful for Him?

All this time I spend preparing my earthly self for my earthly beloved, yet how much time do I spend preparing my heavenly self for my heavenly Beloved? After all, we are called the bride of Christ. And someday He will return. What things are YOU doing to prepare for your heavenly Beloved's return? And how are you preparing your children to anxiously await His return and be beautiful for Him? (Amazing how convicting this was to me this morning!)