Tenderness

Tenderness

            It’s such fun watching our 3 year old great granddaughter play with her baby doll. She tenderly covers it with a blanket and rocks the doll in her arms. The moment something else happens in the room to attract her attention, she abruptly abandons poor baby for the next interest, all semblance of tenderness forgotten. As she grows, she will develop the ability to resist distractions when it is important. She will develop the ability to maintain tenderness as she grows up and is a mommy to a real baby. It is important that we adults also grow in the ability to maintain tenderness toward others even when they become aggravating or less than nice. We can all ask God to help us maintain tender love regardless of whether the person deserves it.

God never drops us like a distracted three year old. Thankfully His tender care is always toward us. Acknowledging our need and appreciation for God’s tenderness helps motivate us to demonstrate more tenderness to one another. After all, each of us is a creation of God; and we can respect and honor that even when there is little else to respect. Whether or not our love is returned or rejected, tenderness carries the power to soften a heart of stone into a heart malleable toward God. Tender love can heal a broken heart and bring out amazing characteristics that lie buried under the defensive shell of self protection. Genuine love pulls down the need to protect ourselves.

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment:

Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love;