A father’s unconditional love
Steve White, Supporter Engagement Officer for London and the South East of England, reflects on becoming a father, and how important it is for children to thrive and be loved
Since becoming a parent, my understanding of God’s love for His children has deepened; that it is not out of duty that I serve and provide for my children but simply out of unconditional love for them. God has entrusted me with the wonderful responsibility to provide my children with the necessary love to enable them to become who God has made them to be; to receive His joy and peace and in turn pass on to those whom they encounter. Within this call to love, I am then gifted with loving and joyful offerings from my relationship with my children.
‘But Jesus said: “let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs”.’ Matthew 19:14
We are all entrusted with the responsibility that love reaches all of God’s children; in our relationship with God we are called to share His love with each other.
I feel blessed to have become part of the Mary’s Meals family in these past few months. In my short time here, I have been so enamoured and inspired by how truly Mary’s Meals lives out the value to respect the dignity of each person; by recognising each child as an individual child of God worthy of his love with personal, unrepeatable gifts. We are a family of people together sharing in each other's dignity, offering ‘little acts of love’ in the hope of being joyfully united in the Kingdom of Heaven together.
I am grateful to all members of the Mary’s Meals family who together are such profound witnesses to God’s truth that by continuing to sow seeds of love, it allows each child to flourish in their unique worth to gift us with their dignity and joy. As the proverb goes ‘education means a leading out of what is already there in the individual soul’; it is so wonderful that Mary’s Meals is able to contribute to this for 2.4 million children, helping to enliven the gifts that God has given them.
So, we must continue to recognise each child who continues to go hungry, abide with them as brothers and sisters and seek to share love with them so they too can come to experience the joy and peace that God has planned for them as His worthy children.
Steve White,
Supporter Engagement Officer
Pray With Us:
- Let us pray for all children by whose joy, innocence, and wonder we are set the example of how to be truly close to God. May they all know the love God has for them and be able to remain forever clothed in that love.
- Let us pray, especially for those in Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan, where millions experience the suffering of acute food insecurity. May the food provided by Mary’s Meals be a glimmer of hope within affected communities. May the Holy Spirit inspire our work so that we reach even more hungry children.
- We ask God to protect the work of Mary’s Meals. We ask that humility and charity be present in all that we do as we seek to encounter loving relationships with each child of God.
