Example of Love

Our lack of love for God limits our ability to enjoy His love for us.

A young man came staggering home, later at night, reeking of odor of his own drunken vomit. Still his mother was greatly relieved and guided him to his bed, where he soon passed out. The mother sat on the side of his bed and stroked his hair, even as tears bathed her face. The father appeared in the door and watched until their eyes met. 'Why are you doing that," he asked, "since he is pased out and doesn't even know you are here?" The mother responded, 'Because he won't let me love him when he is awake."

How often has God tried to love us, but been unable to break through our pre-occupation with our love for other things. All too often we love money, pleasure, sinful practices and ourselves - when we are awake - more than we love Him?

Edited                                                                             Submitted by Jim Bowers

What Would You Write?

A number of years ago a couple traveled to the offices of an Adoption Society in England to receive a baby.  They had been the waiting list a long time. They had been interviewed and carefully scrutinized. Now at last their dreams were to be fulfilled. But their day of happiness was another's pain.

.Arriving at the offices of the Society, they were led up a flight of stairs to a waiting room. After a few minutes they heard someone else climbing the stairs. It was the young student mother whose baby was to be adopted. She was met by the lady responsible for the adoption arrangements and taken into another room. The couple heard a muffled conversation and a few minutes later footsteps on the stairs as the young mother  left.  They heard her convulsive sobbing until the front door of office was closed. Then, there was silence.

The lady in charge then conducted them next door. In a little crib was a six-week old baby boy. On a chair beside it was a brown paper bag containing a change of clothes and two sealed letters. One of these, addressed to the new parents, thanked them for providing a home for her baby and acknowledged that, under the terms of the adoption, each would never know the other's identity. Then the young mother added one request. Would they allow her little son to read the other letter on his eighteenth birthday.

She assured them that she had not included any information about her identity. The couple entrusted that letter to a lawyer and one day the young man will read the message which his mother wrote on the day when with breaking heart, she parted with him.

I wonder what she wrote? If I had to condense all I feel about life and love into a few precious words, what would I say?

I would have no time for trivia. I would not be concerned about economics, politics, the weather, the size of house or the type of car. At such a time I would want to dwell upon the most important; on what life was all about and what things were absolutely essential.

John the Baptist was aware that time was running out. His mission was one of urgency. In his burning message he had no time for peripheral matters. He was not playing Trivial Pursuit, nor was he prepared to splash about in the shallows. He got right to that which was important. The Messiah was coming!

Is there a sense of urgency to your walk and your work for the Master? What would you write or say to your children, or other loved ones, if you knew just how short time is on this planet?

Paul's instruction in Ephesians 5:15-17 can be summed up in these words, "Make the most of the time you have."

Adapted                                                                Reginald Mallet  / Dorset, England