What does a parent's love feel like?

A picture is worth 1000 words. My Amelia, Isaac, and Elizabeth.

It is baffling to wonder how God can love little insignificant me, when he has billions of other children on this planet.  My finite mind cannot comprehend how anyone could love that many children.

But I ask myself, what does a parent's love feel like?

I suppose it is easiest to describe my love for Elizabeth because of how deeply I felt it when she was taken away.  When someone is taken away from us, it is easier to realize just how much we loved them.

My love for Elizabeth came for no other reason but that she is my child.  It did not come because she had such a great personality and did nice things for me, or treated me with love and respect. It was not conditioned on anything whatsoever, because I loved her even without ever seeing her open her little eyes and look up at me. I loved her without ever hearing her little voice cry out for me. I loved her without her even needing my love or needing my help. I loved her without condition.  I loved that little girl with an eternal love that far reaches anything I ever cared about in this world, with a love that ripped up my heart when she was taken away. I loved her simply because she was my child, and no reason more.

This is the love with which God loves us.  It is not based on our stellar performance, or great personalities. Or because we do nice things for him.  He loves us whether or not we treat him with love and respect in return. It is not conditioned on anything whatsoever.  He loves us whether or not we think we need his love or his help.  He loves us with an eternal love that far reaches anything in this world.  He loves us simply because we are his children, and needs no reason more.

That kind of love will not change with our mistakes.  It is ever present and reaching.  We need only look up to have it fill our lives.