Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Luke 10: 25-27 (NIV)
Yesterday, we had just finished watching a couple of online worship services broadcast from our local church, and a church in Tampa of which we have also always felt connected and welcome.
Then we shared some contemporary worship music with some folks around the country, and began to prepare lunch together.
“Social distancing” was still in effect, but we discussed a few needs to get later from the grocery store.
I completed some writing assignments, and Lynda spent time on a few of her projects—masks for family and friends, and cushions for our daughter-in-law’s outdoor furniture.
Then we looked at each other.
What now?
Did I mention “social distancing” was still in place?
But then an unexpected surprise, as the front door bell rang.
And even more than a surprise, the blessing of our precious elder granddaughter, Hannah.
She has painted a picture for her Mimi, and stood there with the painting in hand as we both opened the front door to usher her in.
How did she know her Mimi needed a gift of love at that moment?
Lynda has the need to “stay in place” more than most because of her medical treatments last year. And so she has had a bit more time on her hands, which has allowed her mind to wander and wonder whether anything she was doing was important.
And even, at times, as we all tend to do, to allow her mind to wonder whether anything at all she did was important?
And Hannah’s visit interrupted those wanderings and wonderings, and made things better. Much better.
Hannah’s visit, simply “loving her neighbor” as we are reminded to be about from the passage above, allowed her Mimi to see herself through the eyes of a precious young girl. A precious granddaughter who spent a number of hours envisioning and then creating a painting for one special person—her precious Mimi.
In that gesture and gift, Hannah answered her Mimi’s unspoken questions whether anything at all she was doing was important, with a resounding—yes!
But what Hannah did in that moment, went a step further and reminded her dear Mimi that she was very important.
Something we all need to hear. Right?
But maybe, even more so, in these times.
Times when so much of our lives have slowed to a crawl, finances are tighter, health concerns are foremost on our minds, and “social distancing” and “stay in place” restrictions cause us to lose connections with special relationships, and also to forget how precious we are to our God, and those others who love us.
Maybe we should look around and see those “neighbors” around us we can love at these times.
It would no doubt be a blessing for them.
And I suspect it would not only make things better for them, but for you and me as well.
In His Name–Scott
