The wet drops on my head confirmed my fears. Dark clouds had been threatening throughout my walk, and now, far from home with no rain gear, I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to get soaked.

Head down, I forged ahead on the muddy path. As I rounded a bend, I caught a glimpse of two rain boot-clad children holding two umbrellas—one opened above my children covering them and one extended in love to cover me.

“We heard the rain and didn’t want you to get wet,” my children said.

Though my clothes were drenched and my fingertips tingled with cold, my heart was warmed by their sacrificial love. Though their gesture was simple, I was profoundly impacted by their willingness to lay aside their own desire to stay warm and dry to meet me in my need. It was such a simple gesture, but one with lasting effects.

I’d like to believe it was their father and I who modeled this sacrificial love first for them. To see their needs and care enough to meet them with action. To show them our love, not just with our words but with our deeds.

But before I become too prideful of my parenting, I’m quickly reminded of my heavenly Father who was the first to model this sacrificial love for me. His ultimate sacrifice of His own life will forever impact my heart and mind for all of eternity. I pray we keep His example at the forefront of our minds as we interact with the people in our lives. On rainy and sunny days alike, may we consider who might need a covering of His love expressed through us and may we care enough to act on that prompting.