A Lot About Love

On December 8, 2015, Daniel Isaac Whitworth, 2-year-old son of Michael and Sara Whitworth, passed away unexpectedly.  Michael, a preacher and author, wrote a tribute about his son entitled, “Be Exalted, O Christ: A Requiem.”  In this tribute, he wrote about some of the things that his little boy had taught him.

My son taught me a lot about love.

Daniel was such a loving child.  Of course, he loved his mommy.  He loved her so much.  He adored her.  And though I at times was miffed being his #2 favorite, I knew Sara rightly deserved the bulk of his affection.  I’ve never known a woman who adored a child as much as Sara adored our son.  Daniel learned love from his mother, and he then in turn taught it to me.

Daniel didn’t understand the concept of personal space.  He would hug another child a little too roughly sometimes, but he always had the best of intentions.  When his sister was born, I bought him a special book called, “I Love Dogs.”  He quickly adapted the joyous shout of the book to others.  “I love Mommy!”  “I love Daddy!”  “I love Sissy!”

Only in the last few months did he begin expressing his love in the most tender of ways.  I can’t tell you how much my heart melted when I would tell him, “I love you, BooBoo,” and he’d reply “wuv you daddy,” often with a sippy cup in his mouth.  In recent weeks, motivated by his love for me, I would sit him on my knee, make him look me in the eye, and tell him I loved him and that his mommy and I were so proud of what a good boy he was.

Daniel taught me that Christ-glorifying love for those around us needs to be expressed, especially verbally, or else it is cheap and practically non-existent.  Daniel taught his daddy that expressions of love are most critical on the terrible horrible no good very bad days when he’s torn something, broken something, spilled something, scribbled on something, and produced the foulest diaper you’ve ever known.  Daniel taught me that expressions of love are most critical on those days. *

Daniel, Michael, and Sara teach us all about the love of God.

God loves us even on the terrible horrible no good very bad days when we have broken His commands and His heart and produced the foulest sin in our lives.  Even though we have all “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), God loves us so much that He expressed His love by giving His Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we can be forgiven of those sins and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:7).

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” – 1 John 4:9-10 NIV

God will forgive and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Thank you, Daniel, for teaching us about what it means to love.  We’re praying for your Mom and Dad and sister.  We’re thankful that you all have helped us understand more about how much our heavenly Father loves us.

Won’t YOU accept God’s loving offer of salvation and life by trusting and obeying Him?

-- David A. Sargent

* From “Be Exalted, O Christ: A Requiem” by Michael Whitworth.  Read the requiem at https://start2finish.org/exalted-o-christ-requiem/

David A. Sargent, Minister