Fall is just beginning to be felt down here in Mississippi. Being I’m from Indiana (2yrs), California (55 yrs), Missouri (6yrs) and Colorado (3yrs), I have to stretch my imagination to feel that it is fall living here in the south just over one year. The leaves have only started to change recently – started falling almost before they changed color. The air conditioner ran all summer. Then we were surprised with a couple of cooler days so we switched to the heater. To our surprise, warm and humid weather appeared again and the air conditioner went into action.
Now we are enjoying some drizzle rain with more tree leaves changing color and fluttering to the soft wet ground. My delightful eight-year-old Madelyn said, “MieMie, the leaves look beautiful on the ground!” But, back to the subject of ‘look out’ – let me get to my point for this article.
As we are entering Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, the stores are full of holiday decorations with Christmas Carols floating through the air. Everyone seems to be in a pre-hustle/bustle with his or her families, jobs, church activities, Christmas programs, friends, etc. The average person is so busy with his/her life that stopping for a moment and looking around to the people who cross their path that may need some ‘love in action’ does not happen often.
Since I counsel from north to south, east to west, by phone and Skype – the young, older, single, married, widowed, divorced, pastors, lay people, the hurting, the lonely and the emotionally broken – all who love God with their whole being but need hope and healing through God’s truth, I know how the hurting hearts feel. The majority of them feel extremely alone at times. They have been hurt and struggle with trusting others because they do not know with whom they can be real. It is an extreme sad reality when all of the above are in the Body of Christ.
One website says there are 42 Bibles verses that say, “Love one another.” What is the definition of love? Answer: An intense feeling of deep affection. The Bible says, “God is love.” God proved His love for us by coming to earth in the flesh and dying on a cruel rugged cross because He first loved us. Love is a decision and love is action.
Who in our lives could we stop and give love through actions that is outside our normal life? Can we invite someone to join our holiday parties or meals? Can we make a phone call? Can we send a card with a special note? Can we take food to a person/family who may be hurting financially? Can we invite a solitary person to our family function? Can we open our home for a potluck holiday dinner inviting others we may not know well, a widow, a single parent with a child, etc.?
There’s an old song that says, “We must love one another, love one another and thus fulfill the royal law of God. We must love one another, love one another and thus fulfill the law.” Mark 12 tells us loving our neighbor (whoever comes in to our life) as our self that: “There is no other commandment greater than these.” Loving God, self and others.
We must stop and look beyond our busy comfort zone. Someone needs an action of love, not just words. God, as our example, loved us through action that cost Him His human life to provide us eternal life. Let’s look outside ‘our world’ to touch someone else with His love this season and all year.
© Carol Clemans – November 2013
www.carolclemans.org – Call (636) 448-0121 to schedule speaking or counseling. Read articles on website and order teaching CD’s, DVD’s, book: “God’s Design for Marriage.”