Reckless Love

                Kim and Joey had been married for a couple years.  Joey remembered the words the older couple had given him while they were still dating.  He loved his wife more than words could ever describe.  Soon this young couple would find that their love for each other would only grow deeper when they found out they were becoming a family of three. 

                June 18 became the happiest day of Kim and Joey’s lives.  They welcomed to the world a healthy and happy baby girl.  Their bundle of joy came into the world with a head full of hair and the attitude to match it.  She was a gift from God for the faithful couple and they couldn’t wait until they could show her off to the church. 

                As the weeks passed and the baby started to grow, Joey decided it was time for Christine to be dedicated.  All the planning was complete, the families were making arrangements and the church was buzzing with excitement in anticipation of seeing the beautiful baby dedicated in the same church that her father had been dedicated in many years before.  The date was only a couple weeks away and Joey and d Kim knew everything was going to be perfect for their baby girl.

                The dedication was only days away and Kim could hardly contain her excitement for that day.  She had spent the entire week preparing their house for the families to come over after service to finish celebrating Christine’s day.  As Friday was winding down, Joey decided to go get Kim’s favorite ice cream to help her relax from the week.  He would only be gone a few minutes and he never worried about leaving Kim at home with Christine.  He had faith in God that they would be safe while he was away from the house. 

                But this Friday was unlike any other day that the young couple had faced before.  Not long after Joey had left the house, a fire erupted in back part of the house.  Several of the neighbors were able to get Kim out of the house before it became completely engulfed in flames.  Once Kim was outside, she realized that no one had gotten Christine from her crib.  Without even thinking, Kim ran right back into the inferno that was her house to look for baby.  Her reckless love for her child completely outweighed her rational thinking.  She was determined to find her baby and save her life.  There was nothing that would stop her from getting to Christine.

                The minutes seemed like hours to everyone waiting outside.  Joey had returned to the horrifying thought that his wife and young daughter were still in the house.  The fire department arrived to extinguish the fire and more than likely recover the bodies of Kim and Christine from the ashes.  The only thing that Joey could do was pray that God would protect his family.  Once the flames were put out, the fire department started their search of the house.  They went room by room looking for Kim and Christine.  And with each room, there was no sign of either Kim or the baby.  Finally they made their way to the basement; the fire chief prepared Joey for the worst because he knew no one could survive the heat that swept through the basement.  The fire fighters made their way around the basement until they found a small hole in the rock foundation.  They expected to find two bodies badly burnt but were completely stunned when they found Kim and Christine still alive.

                The reckless love that drove Kim back into the burning house to save her child is the same reckless love that God has for us.  The parable of the lost sheep from the gospel of Luke describes the reckless love God has for us.  In our thinking today, leaving the 99 sheep vulnerable to predators to find the one lost stray is completely crazy.  It would be a reckless decision made by the shepherd to leave his flock for one sheep.  But to God, the one lost sheep is more valuable than all the others and He will do whatever it takes to bring us back to the flock. 

                There will always be fires in our lives and every time God will walk right through the flames to rescue us even when we set the fire ourselves.  God’s love may seem reckless to us but it is the same reckless love that causes a mother to do crazy things to protect their children. 

                Lord, thank you for showing us a love that seems reckless to us.  You have never hesitated to walk through the flames in order to rescue us.  You are Love.  Lord I pray for anyone that may be going through the fires of life right now.  You know who needs your reckless love right now, so I pray that You can bring them through the fire and make them stronger.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.