Our Family, God's Tapestry of Grace

I'm having to admit that I have never really understood 

unconditional love.  

NEVER.

   

Unfortunately, 

it seems my love has often been conditional in ways 

I didn't realize.  

To me, it seems natural to want my husband and children to love me.  

I know how much I love them and I expect a certain amount of 

reciprocation to occur.  

This has never seemed "conditional" love to me because 

I don't love to receive love in return, 

but just have, what I would describe as, a reasonable expectation 

that the people I love 

will want to 

love me in return.

My family consists of my husband and myself, 

our biological daughter, 

our son adopted from Ukraine and 

our two sons and daughter adopted from Russia.  

In my heart, this is my family.  This is a work of God and I am perfectly pleased with His design.

 With my heart full of gratitude, I have viewed my family as a beautiful tapestry of God's grace. 

Recently, I have had to acknowledge that I am guilty of

viewing this tapestry 

through a filter of my own creation.  

God seems to be leading me to a place where he wants to show me 

the tapestry He's creating.

Gently, God has been revealing some areas in my understanding of our family 

that need His guidance.  

He is leading me to give Him my 

desires for our family

 so that He can cleanse me of my 

pride and expectations ... 

and give me a purer heart for my husband and our children.  

A heart that is able to love more freely, 

without conditions or expectations. 

This is a new part of the journey...

Trusting God to continue to weave us together,

according to His plans and purposes

and for His glory.  

Photos by Melony Stevens Photography