can a mother forget her child?

Fr. Tom Konopka
4 days ago
1 min read

As I have reflected on the last lines of today’s last lines from Isaiah, “Can a mother forget her child? Even if she forgets, I will never forget you,” I cannot help but wonder why we try to tell God how to love us. As I read this, God will love us despite ourselves. I hear so often that God will never forgive me for x, y, or z, but if we really hear these words, then he will forgive. God does not hold grudges. He longs for us to be free and loves us into freedom if we let him. Perhaps, we cannot accept this truth about God because we are afraid of the freedom it will give us.

Can I put conditions on God’s love? Can I tell God what to forgive when I do something wrong? Not if we believe in who God is. He led the People of Israel from the desert into the Promised Land. Then, he led them from Israel to Babylon, but he led a new Exodus home. He sent His Son to free us and the Spirit to empower us. I am getting convinced that we cannot tell God how to forgive us, especially in light of the Cross.

May each of us today just accept God’s love and forgiveness. We need nothing more.

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