All the Love

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;” -Luke 12:48b

The Atkinson 7 spent last week in Kitty Hawk, NC with my parents (Kent and Melody) and my brother and his family (Brent, Ann, Josiah, Levi, Micah and Ezra). We had the perfect week. The PERFECT week. The weather was amazing. The location was beautiful. The kids got along and were so excited to be there. No one got hurt. The adults got to talk. A lot. About everything.

Ann (my sister-in-law who will now only be referred to as “sister”) is one of the most insightful people I have ever met. And the more she can get to know a person the happier she is. Her questions are next level. In the best way. One of our conversation topics this week. Confidence. Ann wanted to know how Brent and I ended up with so much confidence.

Our parents. Kent and Melody Fugate have impacted so many lives. From their children to their granchildren to the young marrieds they poured into for many years to strangers on the street. They love people big. And sacrificially. But, fun fact: They are not confident people. Not at all. And yet they produced Brent and I. Two of the most confident people you will ever meet.

So, as usual, Ann got me thinking. And I really think it’s quite simple. Our parents loved us big. The best way they knew how. And neither Brent nor I have ever doubted that love for a minute. It has always been a soft place to land.

When the Lord chose, in His perfect timing, to reach down so far and save Brent and I, we already knew a lot about love. Our parents gave us a foundation, a starting point. As we have grown in our faith, of course we saw how deep and how wide and how far the love of the Lord is. So much that we can’t really comprehend it. But, I think we may comprehend it more than most. Confidence. That’s the root of our confidence.

So now what? Now we know the reason God puts people in our path. It’s for His glory. We have to connect. There is no time to lose.

Brent and I both got married in our early twenties. With all the confidence. We had the confidence to choose well. We knew the purpose of our lives. To bring glory and honor to the Lord. Ryan and Ann. They came right along side us. With all the love. And we loved them right back. We all loved each other big. And still do. In fact, it grows exponentially each day.

Then, in God’s perfect timing, he gave us children. And the love went everywhere. Like spiderwebs. We have chosen to love one another’s children. Because we know how. Through God’s goodness and provision we are quite good at it.

And now, these precious 9, feel all the love. It is being poured out freely. They are learning how to receive love. They are learning how to give love to others.

So, at the moment, I am remembering all the love. I am remembering all the people that God has put in our lives who have chosen us. Chosen to love us. And it made a difference.

On our way home from Kitty Hawk, the Atkinson 7 stopped in Semora, NC. The Ehrhardts invited us to their lakehouse. All 7 of us. To spend the night. And we are a lot. But they didn’t seem to notice. When Ryan was in middle school he became friends with Daniel Ehrhardt. But beyond that, he was drawn to Daniel’s family. He saw they were something special. They loved the Lord. And that overflowed into their love for one another. He was drawn to them and they included him. They chose to love Ryan. Then they chose to love me. Then they chose to love our 5 children. They didn’t have to. But they did. They are an encouragement to Ryan and I. They are yet another example to our children of the love of Christ. Of love in action.

We left the Ehrhardts and headed straight to Grandpa Denny’s. He and Daphne had a wonderful outdoor luncheon all set up for us. So kind. Ben and Judy were there too. Ben is Ryan’s uncle. Ben has been such a support to me in regard to this blog (Thanks for giving me last week off Ben!). Ryan and I have a special connection with Ben and Judy. We are all parents of special needs children.

Amy Atkinson has been home with the Lord for many years now. She made quite the impact. On so many. Now, not only does she get to live in her perfect and pain-free body in heaven, but her memory here on earth also lives on. Through her parents, Ben and Judy. Through her sister, Tracy. And through so many others who loved her well and were loved well by her.

Sadly, I never got to meet Amy. But I feel like I know her. She has an actual place in my heart.

Ben and Judy made a choice. Lots of choices actually. They made the choice to love their girls well and sacrificially. They made the choice to learn and keep learning. They made the choice to love one another. They made the choice to do hard things for the sake of their family. They made the choice not to grow bitter in the process. They made the choice to love our family of 7. And offer all the support. They want so desparately to be there for us. With all the love.

For today, I have to stop. Because I really could go on and on. I have experienced all the love. Again and again. That love has been a gift from the Lord. And also a provision. Because I can’t imagine doing this life without it. It is what fuels me. And since so much has been given to me, and my heart is so full, the expectation is clear….. I really have no choice, but to give all the love. 🙂