As a patrol deputy, I learned that domestic violence calls are frequent occurrences. Many cohabiting people cannot peacefully exist together. They often call law enforcement to settle their disputes. One night we responded to an interesting case at a trailer in Coaling. 

A 30-year-old woman and her 50-something-year-old mother got into a fight. The altercation spilled into the yard and became physical. Then they raised the stakes a notch by arming themselves with steak knives. Yes, mother and daughter attacked each other with kitchenware. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. Mom, however, went to jail. She was the aggressor. 

As I pulled out of the yard with Mom handcuffed in the back seat, the daughter felt a twinge of remorse. She ran after the patrol car yelling, “I love you, Momma!” Mom wasn’t so sentimental. She mumbled under her breath in the back seat, “I should’ve killed the %#%#.” That’s when the voice inside my head said, “You know, if you’ve ever been in a knife fight with your mother…. You might be a redneck.” 

Even on a sliding scale, that lady gets an “F” in motherhood. That’s sad because children often get their image of God from their parents. That can result in a twisted view of God. If Dad is angry, people think the same about their heavenly Father. If Mom is distant, God may seem distant as well. If parents are harsh, we expect the same from the Almighty. It’s a difficult mindset to break.

“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15)

Thankfully, God isn’t like us. Even the best parents fall short of God’s perfect love. Detaching our image of God from our human examples is a process. That only comes through knowing God. He can be known. He chooses to reveal Himself to those who seek Him.

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18