Amazing Love the Father has for His Son

I was reading 2 Samuel 13 - 15 this morning... I was struck by the contrasts between King David and his son Absalom. In this story, Absalom has a daughter, Tamar, who is raped by her brother... Absalom plots for two years in silence until he gets revenge and kills his brother Amnon. He then flees until the king's advisor, Joab gets the king to recall him. Absalom then works to "win the heart of the people" and eventually takes the kingdom from David, who flees the city. Throughout this whole story I am amazed at the heart of David towards his son and the son's continual plotting and taking for himself... I haven't yet reread the part about Absalom's death, but I remember how David mourned for him... what an incredible love this father had for his son... despite the wretched things that son did to his own brother and father... what a picture of amazing love.

Contrasts

I love contrasts... I just returned from a walk by the lake. The sky was awesome! The clouds were slate grey with the bright yellow sun piercing through... there were patches of blue with the whitest clouds skidding across with incredible speed. There were actually waves with white breakers on our little lake which is usually so calm... The power of the wind was such that my youngest son felt like he could "lay on it"... there were towers of spray lifting from 5 to 7 feet way out on the center of the lake... we actually felt some spray on the shore... the wind is dying down now but the sky still has that incredible drama going on... brilliant sunlight poking through the rents in the darkest clouds... I love the beauty in that... the juxtaposition of opposites, darkness and light.... it stirs something within me. We had heard that there was a tornado warning so watching the action of the elements wasn't without some excitement/trepidation.... We found a ditch near the greenway in case we saw a funnel cloud actually form.... the force of the wind made walking into it a little challenging... it felt great to have such a physical force impressed upon you... I don't know what it is about the power in something invisible, like the wind that suggests mystery... we are always so amazed when we see the limbs or actual trees blown over after one of these windstorms... I wish we could have captured a few pictures of the sky and whitecaps to share... but I am grateful to have experienced it with David and two of my children. Hope you could experience some of the wonder of it as you read.