Before my grandmother passed away in 2016, I spent a lot of time with her and every single day, I learned valuable lessons by observing her. She had a revolving door of visitors from the time she was hospitalized and then brought home under hospice care the following week. Over those three months, she enjoyed seeing each one, and not only did she know who they were, she also knew their family and asked how they all were doing. The most common thing I heard was how much people loved her. My mom told me about a friend of mine who dropped by to see her one afternoon. He was in his early 50s, but that didn’t stop this strong man from weeping over her and saying how much he loved her and just how much she had touched his life. He said that he will always remember how she would pat his shoulder, tell him what a good man he was, and give him an encouraging word. A lot of the time, we tend to forget our elderly and not make time for them. This thought ran through my mind today – why was Manette so different? Why did so many people still take the time to call or visit with her and speak of how much they loved her? As I pondered that question, I realized that she was so well loved because she had loved well. She learned the art of loving everybody like Christ loves them and like Christ loves her. Her heart was full of God’s love and it spilled out from her. When someone has God’s love pouring from them, it is easy to love them in return. She may not have agreed with or liked what people did, but it didn’t stop her from loving them and praying for them. Pawpaw and Manette pastored for 30 years, and they loved everyone with whom they came in contact through their ministry. Many of their parishioners became like family to us, and we remain close to this day. There are people everywhere who were touched by them and who checked in on her continuously. I have been truly blessed to have such wonderful role models throughout my life. My prayer is that I too will love others as Christ loves them so that when I come to the end of my life, people will say that I have loved well. I pray that for you as well, for that is exactly what God calls us to do! February is the month of love, so let us all take a moment this month and ask ourselves if we are loving others as Christ loves them. If not, ask God to fill you with His love so greatly and it is natural for His love to spill from you onto others. Jesus said that people would know that we are His disciples because of how we love one another (John 13:35).
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:9-12)
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. (I Peter 1:22)
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)
Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)
But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:34)
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40)
