“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love...
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.” 1st John 4:7-8, 12 ESV
If we think about it very hard we all know exactly who they are. They are the ones that embody the ideal that John wrote about in the verses above. They are the people who leave the house for a five minute walk in the neighborhood but stay gone for an hour and a half. They are the ones that will run out to the store for milk and bread and be gone for two hours. What happened between point A and point B? They stopped somewhere along the way or in the midst of their daily activity to talk and listen, advise, and encourage, laugh and cry. You'll often find them at the center of a group or with a long line of people waiting to speak with them.
My grandfather was that way. When I was small I used to get impatient because it seemed like every where he went he was always talking to someone about something. What I failed to realize was that he saw every single person as valuable and a special child of God. He always seemed to have a busy schedule but he always made time to go out of his way to speak to those placed into his path. I can count more times than not that I was with him and saw this in action. He valued everyone that he took the time to speak with, whether they were a laborer or leader in the community. He viewed them they way that God did, both were equally as important.
I learned, later in life, the lesson that he was teaching me without me knowing it. I am called to spend time with the people God brings into my life. The circumstances that bring us together have been planned out far in advance by Him. If I miss this special opportunity to pass along the needed reminder of how important they are, the chance may never come again. Take the time, I promise that it is worth the extra minute.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.” 1st John 4:7-8, 12 ESV
If we think about it very hard we all know exactly who they are. They are the ones that embody the ideal that John wrote about in the verses above. They are the people who leave the house for a five minute walk in the neighborhood but stay gone for an hour and a half. They are the ones that will run out to the store for milk and bread and be gone for two hours. What happened between point A and point B? They stopped somewhere along the way or in the midst of their daily activity to talk and listen, advise, and encourage, laugh and cry. You'll often find them at the center of a group or with a long line of people waiting to speak with them.
My grandfather was that way. When I was small I used to get impatient because it seemed like every where he went he was always talking to someone about something. What I failed to realize was that he saw every single person as valuable and a special child of God. He always seemed to have a busy schedule but he always made time to go out of his way to speak to those placed into his path. I can count more times than not that I was with him and saw this in action. He valued everyone that he took the time to speak with, whether they were a laborer or leader in the community. He viewed them they way that God did, both were equally as important.
I learned, later in life, the lesson that he was teaching me without me knowing it. I am called to spend time with the people God brings into my life. The circumstances that bring us together have been planned out far in advance by Him. If I miss this special opportunity to pass along the needed reminder of how important they are, the chance may never come again. Take the time, I promise that it is worth the extra minute.
Comments
Post a Comment