Love bank

A child needs a father’s and a mother’s attention. If they do not get enough of it, they take action to get their parents’ attention. One effective means is fussing. Often in the midst of everyday life a child seems to need attention just when, in the parents’ view, one ought to be concentrating on something else entirely. The use of time in everyday life is quite a balancing act. Otherwise too, but especially in families with small children. I recall someone writing that a child takes the time and attention they need in any case. Parents give it either voluntarily while the child is small, or correspondingly by force once the child has grown a little older. Perhaps so, but this much is certain: raising children also greatly raises mother and father, and not least with regard to the use of time. I repeatedly remind myself that our little daughter’s love bank needs to be filled at regular intervals, and it is not filled otherwise than by spending time together with her.

Our heavenly Father may at times become a matter of course to us. And something everyday. We can avoid this by spending quality time with him. This means regularly seeking his company in prayer and by studying the Bible. Awareness of his love toward us stays fresh when we meet him regularly. Just as relationships between people need to be tended, so we must tend our relationship with our heavenly Father. He longs for our company, so that he can show us how much he loves us.

It is not enough that we know our loved ones need our time. Time must concretely be given. It is not enough that we know our heavenly Father is waiting for our company. Shared time must concretely be taken, so that our love bank can again and again be filled with heavenly love.

Scripture:

Zeph 3:17 Rom 5:5 2 Cor 6:18