The Relentless Renewing Power of Love

May 4, 2020

By Pastor Tim Shaw

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

“This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:10–16 TNIV)

My family and I just celebrated my mom’s birthday - over Zoom - the video conferencing platform many of us are using to stay in touch with one another. My mom raised me to be a gentleman, so I’ll say only this much. The first number in my mom’s age is a “9.”

My sister Debbie created a video tribute honoring my mom that we watched during the online party. It was about 15 minutes long and covered ONLY the first 10 years of my mom’s life! As I watched the images in that tribute, what struck me again and again was the incredible love and devotion captured by those photos.

My grandfather was an evangelist who led revival meetings all around the US and Canada and eventually served as a pastor in Los Angeles. He passionately wanted people to know Jesus. His wife, my grandmother, played the organ in the church and was an incredible partner in ministry. The two of them loved Jesus, and it is absolutely clear that they also adored their daughter, my mom. That legacy of love rolled down the generations and continues to do so, and I am the grateful beneficiary of the relentless, renewing power of that love.

The love that permeated my mom’s family had its origin in the love of Jesus that had first captured her parents’ hearts and empowered them to show their daughter how to trust the relentless, renewing love of God in all circumstances. All of that was clearly visible to me in the images that flashed on the screen during my sister’s tribute.

Using a neighborhood app, our other sister, Cindy, alerted the neighbors that a big birthday was being celebrated on Iris Avenue in Corona Del Mar. At 12 noon on her birthday, people, many who did not know my mom, came by the house with signs and songs, sharing happy birthday wishes. They brought gifts to celebrate a remarkable woman many had never met. I watched a video of this joyous parade of cars. The people honked their horns and spread joy and hope in a season of so much uncertainty and anxiety. It was amazing! I could hear the emotion in my sister’s voice as she called out her thanks to everyone in the parade. It was a beautiful thing to see the relentless, renewing power of love at work, once again, in my mom’s heart.

My mom has navigated decades filled with challenges facing our nation and world. She has journeyed through difficult seasons in her personal and family life. She had to find a way to survive my adolescence to name just one! She has lived through times of great uncertainty, and to this day she would still point to the relentless, renewing love of Jesus. She would confidently say that He is completely trustworthy, no matter what.

The soundtrack my sister used for the final four minutes of her video tribute is a song by Secret Garden called Raise Your Voices. Let me invite you to join my mom and raise your own voice today in praise of the God of relentless, extravagant love. If you’d like to watch it, here is a link to the last four minutes of my sister’s video tribute to our mom. The lyrics of the song are included in the video’s description and are, like my mom, remarkable.

My grandfather, grandmother, and my mom would all affirm that the ultimate tribute is due not to them or to any of us but is owed to the One who is the source of all love. Our God is the One who is able to steady us, strengthen us, guide us, encourage us and calm us no matter how turbulent the days may be. Just ask my mom. For a lifetime, God has done all of that for her.

Though your nights be dark and fearful

Though we face the dimming day

Though the heart be sad and tearful

Trust Him, He will light the way

Raise your voices, raise your voices

Praise to Him the living word

To the Heavens high ascending

Raise your voices to the Lord

(Songwriters: Brendan Graham / Rolf Lovland | Raise Your Voices lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group)