Fact: God is Love

The other night at the dinner table, we were talking about onions.

My 12-year old refuses to eat onions and was complaining about the opinions in his spaghetti. 

My 16-year old exclaimed, “Onions are so good!” 

To which my 6-year old piped up, “That’s an opinion…. Want me to tell you a fact?” 

“Sure.” I was intrigued by his involvement in the conversation. 

“Dogs bark.” He said. 

Fast forward a couple of days.  We were talking to our missionary daughter and I was relaying the story about Donovan sharing facts and opinions. 

Addie asked, “So, Donovan, what is a fact about God.” 

“A fact about God?! He loves us!!” Without a beat, this truth was spoken!

 And I thought: Why do little children know this so surely?  Why do we forget this truth as time passes? 

Last night the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints held a worldwide broadcast for the Relief Society sisters.  Listen to these messages: 

“He loves you and desires to be a part of your life and your concerns, your happiness, your decisions.  Jesus Christ desires to give you His relief.”  — Sister Kristin M. Yee

“He will never abandon [the covenant] relationship.”  — Sister J. Annette Dennis

“You are precious daughters of God.” — Sister Camille N. Johnson

“I know how much the Lord loves you and depends upon you…. Never underestimate the power you have within you.” — President Russel M. Nelson

As I sat in that room, hearing of God’s love for His daughters, I was struck with a similar thoughts as before:  Every speaker spoke of God’s love multiple times. Why do we need to hear this so much in one night?  Why don’t we know this already? 

The answer is: we do forget.  

As our innocence fades and experiences become memories, we forget.  It becomes easier to listen to the wrong voices, to believe the wrong thoughts, and to adopt false beliefs about ourselves and those around us.  We don’t always have the tangible arms of a loving mother to hold us while we cry, to share in our sorrows, and to lend comfort in the form of a chocolate chip cookie!  At some point in our lives it becomes our turn to give ourselves the care and love we need by turning to the Savior and asking for His relief.  

Because in reality — God is love. 

To have more God in our lives, we love.  

When we love, we have more God in our lives.  

This is a fact. 

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And we have known and believe the love that God hath to us. 

God is love; 

and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.  

1 John 4:16