I was talking to another grandma and if you’re in our camp, you know how we grandmas feel about our grandchildren. We’re wildly in love. Grandma love! It’s the closest kind of love to God’s love. And when we show each other our photos, we try hard not to allow it to become a competition. But if we do, it’s all done in teasing.

The new friend whom I’d just met was a grandma and we, like we do, began showing each other our grandkids’ photos on our phones. When she showed me her granddaughter’s photo who was about four years old, I heard her exclaim, “Isn’t she so beautiful?” 

She looked at me and I really couldn’t hide my reaction. And she caught on. I was so embarrassed but within a second, she whispered conspiratorially as if her granddaughter were in the room, “Y’know, I know she’s actually not that pretty of a little girl, and actually, she’s far from even being cute, but I just love her so much and I know her inner beauty. And when I can give her a big hug, I wouldn’t care if she had three noses. She’s my little girl and I love her.” She looked down at the photo, and her love for that little girl just warmed her face. 

Her love for that little girl brought tears to my face and I thought, “There’s a grandma who truly loves her grandchild…unconditionally.”

It wasn’t until later that I thought of the connection to God’s love. That grandma’s love is like God’s love for us. Tweet This!I doubt there’s ever been a conversation like this between Almighty God and Satan but can’t you just envision Satan saying something like, “You think she’s beautiful? You gotta be kidding. With all that ugly sin stain on her face? And with that evil heart? And right now she’s having a temper tantrum! Ewww! What an ugly look of defiance. You love her?”

But the loving Father replies, “Yes, that is reality but I’m working in her outward appearance to bring her to accord in her inner holiness—a gift I’ve graced her with. Unlike Me, Satan, you ignore the beautiful robe of righteousness that I’ve wrapped around her and the crown of gems atop her head that I’ve given her. There are more and more gems in her crown now. Even that sin stain that shows on her face is being wiped off and it’s doesn’t have the hold over her as before. She’s mine and I love her. Even your accusations, Satan, don’t trip her up as much! Be gone!”

Isn’t that what Revelation 12:10 tells us: “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.”

And here’s the other side of the coin: “The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Oh yes, a grandmother’s (and grandfather’s) love might just be the closest thing there is on earth to our Heavenly Father’s love. Tweet This! We see the child now and she (or he) is, indeed, imperfect, yet we have claimed her as our own. Just as our Heavenly Father has claimed us.