One of my current favorite stories to read to Brady and one of his most requested books right now is a book called I Love You More.  There are really two stories in one.  In one direction the story is of a mother telling her son how much she loves him.  Then you flip the book over and the story is the son telling his mom how much he loves her. 

For obvious reasons, I love this story.  It is an opportunity to put into words how much I love my little man.  The other day, however, before he got in the car for Chris to bring him to school, he came up to me and said, “Mom, lean down.”  I bent over, and he whispered, “You know what, mom, I love you more!”.  (This is the closing line from the son’s story).  My eyes filled with tears as I wrapped my arms so tightly around my grown up little man, embracing not only him, but the huge moment this was for me to hear him say this. 

 Brady’s words meant so much to me.  At the same time, it reminded me that God is always whispering to us in so many ways …”Hey, I love you more!”.  God loves us more than I love Brady or Abby or Chris.  God’s love is infinite and unconditional.  It is so hard to wrap my head around that fact that God loves us more than I love my kids, but God does.  We are God’s beloved children just as Jesus was God’s beloved Son as we see in Matthew:  “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

God says the same to us,”You are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased.”  God says to us, “I love you more!”

Do we really believe and accept that we are God’s beloved children?
What hinders us from accepting that God does love us more? 

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.