March 8 – Given

“It is a given that …” 
This is a phrase I used to hear a lot more of than I do now. Which is to say, I really don’t hear anyone say this anymore. Has it gone out of style? Or is it just the crowd of people I hang with is different?
It is a given … means we hold these assumptions to be true and constant. It means other things may change, and undoubtedly will change, but this thing will stay the same. And, therefore, we can set it aside and ignore it. Anything that is a given is not really interesting.
When I say this, I am speaking from the perspective of experimental research. Where you have to identify the variables and the constants, or, the givens. These givens are not interesting because you can’t do anything with them. They will be the same 24/7/365. Always. No matter what curveballs you throw at them, they will be the same.
The givens are just not interesting because we want to know what changes – and why. 
Although –
It is important to know what’s been given, isn’t it? What do we know will stay the same 24/7/365/to infinity and beyond? Or at least as far as our finite minds can take us.
Let me speak from what I know.
It is a given that I will love my children. No matter what.
Whatever words they say to me, I will love them.
Whatever words they don’t say to me, I will love them.
However long they don’t call me, whatever we disagree about, however many times they roll their eyes at me, I will love them.
Whatever tests they put in front of me – do you love me enough to get through this? – I will love them.
No matter how far away they might drift, how much we might disagree, how far they might cast off all that I taught them, gave them, shared with them. No matter if they tell me, “You don’t even want to know me now. Just forget about me,” and I slam down my coffee cup on the counter so hard it breaks and I shout, “That is not an option!” so loud I scare everyone in the house. Even then, I still love them.
Whatever I have to give away, whatever I have to lose, I still love them. That is a given.
And Jesus said, “if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give?” Given: you know how to love your children. Be assured, little children, the God who taught you what love is knows how to love you too. It’s a given. 100%.
God so loved the world he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16. Whatever that word “believe” means – that’s another subject for another day. But that he gave his son –
As in, “This is my body, given for you. This is my blood, poured out for you.”
What I see here today. In this word, given.
Is that when it comes right down to the essentials, what I know to be a given is the constancy of love. I know it from my own intimate personal experience. And, from this, I know it to be a gift of God.
Love is a given. Love never ends.

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