Look-alike Love

"So God breathed life into Adam and Eve. When they opened their eyes, the first thing they ever saw was God's face. And when God saw them he was like a new dad. "You look like me," he said. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever made!"

God loved them with all of his heart. And they were lovely because He loved them. And Adam and Eve joined in the song of the stars and the streams and the wind in the trees, the wonderful song of love to the one who made them. Their hearts were filled with happiness. And nothing ever made them sad or lonely or sick or afraid.

God looked at everything he had made. "Perfect!" he said. And it was.

But all the stars and the mountains and the oceans and galaxies and everything were nothing compared to how much God loved his children. He would move heaven and earth to be near them. Always. Whatever happened, whatever it cost him, he would always love them.

And so it was that the wonderful love story began."

From The Jesus Storybook Bible

A few years ago, Kim Lorentzen's children received a book about how we came to be. It is quoted above from a shared email.

I was revisiting it tonight as I thought about Jesus, the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us. I thought about His resolve to live a sinless life and die a sacrificial death in our place so that we might be restored to our first beauty. Our original sin traded for original grace. So the Father could fasten His Holy gaze upon us and say, "You look like me."

As we move through these Lenten days, consider the One who conspired with the Father and the Holy Spirit to bring their beauty, their relationship into our lives. To make us the most beautiful things they have ever made. To make us look like Them.

Jesus opened Himself up to us and stretched out His mighty love palm to scarred palm high above our estrangement, settling our debt forever and forever changing how Heaven beholds us.

And so it was that the wonderful love story began...again.


What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are...that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own. 1 John 3:1-3

(Special thanks to Amy and Cheree for illustrating God's look-alike love in such a lovely way.)