Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. What better way to consider what love looks like than examining I Corinthians 13? Many of us know how this chapter starts by… well… heart.  Love is patient, love is kind. Yes, yes, and yes. But I want to look more specifically at I Corinthians 13: 7, which is sometimes lost in the list of love’s characteristics. It says, “[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

As parents, how do we convey that type of love to our children?

I can best answer this through my experience. The first time my daughter went roller skating, I followed behind her, ready to grab her arm at the slightest wobble to prevent her from hitting the floor. Because love always protects, right? But you know what she eventually told me? “Just let me fall, Mom.”

Because I loved her, I honored her wish and watched from the sidelines, wincing every time she toppled. And cheering for her, too. Maybe I wasn’t going to catch her, but I would for sure let her know I was rooting for her.

As time progressed, I witnessed something remarkable. Each fall led to her learning better balance until, by the end of day, she navigated the rink on her own. Battered but proud. Bruised but unbroken. Still a bit awkward, but beaming with growing confidence.

That day, I adjusted my understanding of verse seven. I may be wrong… but perhaps love doesn’t mean to prevent all harm. Maybe sometimes it means allowing our children to fail. Because those moments of defeat enable us to fully implement verse seven. How? We protect our children from discouragement. We trust they will learn. We hope they won’t give up. And we persevere in our support, no matter how many years it takes for them to gain their confidence.  Our attitudes are invisible hands of love that continuously uplift them.

Or maybe I’m wrong. What do you think?

This Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to share a few books with your child that reflect God’s simple but very complex love. The words might just provide new insights on what exactly what love looks like in your life.

With Love!

Lori Z. Scott

P.S. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter for book reviews, encouragement, and more!

#ValentinesDay #Christianchildrensauthors #corinthians13 #christianbooksforkids