Love in Action

by Betsy Hendricks (Next Gen Early Childhood Assistant Director)

Flickr | Shopping Cart Geometry by Chris

I packed up the kids for a quick running-of-the-errands. We had three stops to make then it was home for lunch and naps. As we were walking into the last store, dodging raindrops, I noticed a lady pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair. She was struggling to get the chair over the slight curb and the threshold of the store. I was pleased to see that a gentleman was helping them navigate the terrain and, once in the store, continued to assist them with finding a cart. I was even more pleased when I recognized the gentleman was one of our church members. We exchanged greetings and went on to our shopping.

It wasn’t until we got back in the car that the kids started flooding me with questions: “Who did you say hi to?” “What was he doing there?” “Who was he with?” “Why was he helping them?” We spent the entire car ride home talking about loving others the way God loves us, and being Jesus’ hands and feet by helping people in need. These might seem like rudimentary lessons to the seasoned Christian. But for a parent, in the chaos that is summertime, it was a tremendous blessing to see Christ’s Love in action. I praise God for that brother and seizing that opportunity to be a light not only to that stranger’s family, but also to mine.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:35-40