<font size="2"><font face="trebuchet ms">I used to think God's love for me mirrored my parent's love for me. It's a common way for a child to try to grasp it, I'm sure, and it's not such a bad metaphor, in some ways. But even if your parents are nearly perfect, the way they love is bound to be somewhat tainted.<br /><br />My parents, for instance, did not send a message of harsh judgment, but I did have a very clear idea of what would make them happy with me and what would make them unhappy with me. And I assumed, for whatever reason, that when they were less happy with me, they loved me less. God, therefore, must work the same way, I concluded.<br /><br />I'm really glad this is not the case, as it turns out. Especially now that I'm a parent. I mean, I always Love my children, but I don't always <font style="font-style: italic;">love</font> them, in that way you love someone you always want to be near, close and cuddly, because everything they do  pleases you.<br /></font></font>