What does Love looks like?

(Image from 123RF)

When I was young, I used to think my Mom would be a great nurse. She had all the details of how to make me feel better when I was sick perfected. Her checklist of care looked something like this:

1. Notice, without the aid of a thermometer that I felt under the weather.
2. Determine, with the aid of a thermometer, how high my fever was.
3. Head to the pantry a return in a matter of moments with a tall glass of Ginger-ale accompanied with crushed ice and a striped straw. Give me Tylenol to take with the drink.
4. If my fever was quite high, she's get cotton and rubbing alcohol and rub down my arms and legs.
5. If my throat were sore, she'd get Vicks and rub my chest and throat down and wrap my neck with one of my Dad's long socks.
6. If I was restless and could not sleep, she's read out loud to me until I dozed off.

One winter, I was so sick with strep throat my mom read the entire book of Charlotte's Web to me. The medicine I had been given by the doctor tasted so terrible that it kept making me sick. My Mom was so thorough that she took a spoonful of the medicine herself - sputtered, grimaced and spat it out and promptly called the Doctor for an alternate option for me to take. My Mom was a great nurse.

In about a week, it will be time to celebrate Valentines Day. It's a day that many people express their love with flowers, candy and heart shaped cards. Valentine's Day is a wonderful reminder to express love, but sometimes I think it can become tied up in making a big impression by giving material things. The act of giving love, in material gifts or means of action, should not be limited to one day a year. Love is something that energizes and encourages people in the everyday actions of caring for each other - just like my Mom did.

In the scripture below, Jesus is active in the everyday caring and healing of people that were sick. Jesus was active in the work and he included his followers in the daily practical work of caring for the sick and hurting.

Caring for people can be difficult work. It means, at times setting personal goals and desires aside so that others needs can be attended to first. It also might mean tasting some really bad medicine!

I don't see candy boxes when I think about what love looks like. In light of this scripture and my own experience of being cared for by my Mom, my perspective on love's appearance has changed. I see my Mom's face, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, a glass of Ginger ale with crushed ice, thermometer, Vicks chest rub, and the copy of "Charlotte's Web" that she read to me.

The image of love is always changing. Love can mean many things to many people - but this Valentine's week and beyond I hope I can grasp and try to live into a humble everyday kind of love - like Jesus and my Mom.

What does love look like to you? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Mark 1:29-39 The Message (MSG)
29-31Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.

32-34That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word.

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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