“We should love our family with a love that is beyond ourselves” – Kuya John Acosta
Over the past few months, I have been blessed to experience a wedding, an engagement, a funeral, and multiple viewings. In all of these events, what struck me the most was the amount of love I felt from the families. No matter what the situation, whether happy or sad, through the smiles and tears, everyone acted out of love.
It seemed so fitting that the theme of this year’s SFC TNC was about God’s Masterpiece in our lives, something that every single person on this earth can relate to in some way: our families. I was so grateful to be given the opportunity to reflect on the Lord’s goodness in my life and how he has blessed me with every member of my family.
I admit, there have been many times I’ve taken my family for granted, and I’ve also hurt them many times. What kept going through my head that weekend and kept bringing tears to my eyes (other than the fact that all the talks and sharings were so touching) was the knowledge that my parents are so forgiving. Though I’ve hurt them, they continue to love me unconditionally. Their forgiveness and unceasing love continues to inspire me to do the same with others and ultimately reminds me of the kind of love that The Lord has for us: a love that goes beyond anything we can ever imagine and embraces despite the hurts.
My family is by no means perfect. We each have our own flaws but what makes this building block of society so beautiful is that with every imperfection and crack, the Lord continues to shine through. His love and mercy is what binds the cracks together to make us whole.
“Above all, let your love for one another be intense, for love covers a multitude of sins” – 1 Peter 4:8