How a mother loves a child is only a fraction of how God's love is.

She carries an unborn child within herself,
nourishing and loving it for a period of time.

She then goes through the pain to release it into the world.

She looks upon this child with love,
compassion and humbleness as a mother should.

If time allows a mother to linger upon this earth,
she stands close to her child ready at all times to respond to it.

She nourishes this child all its days.

She stands watch over it very protectively.

When the child cries,
she gently wipes the tears away and reassures,
as mothers will, that she loves it and is there.

When a child can see,
she rejoices at the sight to see things through its eyes,
and reassures the child she sees too.

When a child can hear
she laughs to be able to hear it.

Once again she reassures the child that she hears, too.

When the child falls,
she's there to extend a hand to help it up.

She then embraces the child and kisses it and starts her child, if possible, upon its next step.

If the child can run she cautiously watches.

If he runs too fast,
she is able to slow him down and teach him how to pace oneself.

All through life a mother gently, humbly and compassionately teaches her child of those things God would want her to teach to it.

She knows instinctively when to love,
when to embrace, when to talk,
when to listen to her child.

When the time comes to release it to go out into the world alone,
she gently releases its hand and sends it on its way.

She does this with a silent tear, a prayer upon her lips,
and in her heart she says:
"God, he's yours more than he's mine,
so take over now my place at the side of this your child."

- Dorothy Godwin Burns

<bgsound src="/midis/cards/contemporary/endlesslove.mid" loop="infinite">