“Soul love is the soul of all love.” -John Charles Ryle My mother-love is not enough. It comes up short like a too-small quilt, leaving parts exposed. Although I try and tuck and stretch it so, my mother-love, my parent-love is shy of covering them. My children, those most precious souls, walk around with naked parts. Vulnerable. And that’s okay. My tent of mother-love is stretched taught and tied down to spikes pounded deep into the soil of truth, but my kids quickly outgrow its covering. Like a newborn kicks against tight swaddling, my children need to kick and punch and build muscle, and they cannot be carried in my arms. I have to set them down on hard ground. They have to walk, run, jump, explore and play, trip, fall, get up again. They have to live. And I have to love their souls enough to let them. J.C.Ryle goes on to say to parents, ask this question at every turn, “How will this affect their souls? That is the mighty question.” Indeed. Soul love …