I was at a grocery pick-up and was helping the employee load my vehicle with bags. I was also trying to wrap up my conversation with my husband and son on the phone as well as acknowledge that my older boys were waiting for me to pick them up. This gentleman said, “You're a busy mom.” I agreed. Then I moved the conversation to how time is fleeting and they grow too fast. He said, “That’s good you recognize it.” Then he proceeded to tell me that he and his wife were unable to have children.

My boys recently took some academic tests. I felt uncertain about the process and spent some time pondering why I felt this way. God revealed some beautiful truths to me. First, have you noticed how comparison-driven our world is? Starting in school, the standardized tests given to our children are based on comparing them to their peers. These tests hopefully show some of their academic strengths and weaknesses, but they are far from a complete picture of a child. These tests don’t show their character, moral excellence, or integrity. Yet, an entire self-perception could be formed by not being somebody who measures up.

People aren’t always there for us. It’s a hard and honest reality. We need to remember that many people around us are fighting an internal battle we know nothing about. The love of family is so important. If you know that you are loved, that is a very good thing, and you have a reason to rejoice every day. If you don’t have anyone or are still struggling to find security in love, then let me tell you that you must first come to know God’s love. If you know God, you know love, because “God is love.”