Every day for love

This month I've had the joy of sharing some "extra" ordinary glimpses of love ...

• a mother's Love Before Sight about Sandra's adoption process
• the Last Bath about Melanie's love shown to her son, Andrew, as he passed away
• a Stranger's Love from Tara and the love shown by the nurse who cared for her infant son
• not the easy path, as Patty talked about loving in hard relationships
• what they did for love, the way a family honored their father, shared by Nancy
• and Love's Mess Factor, some of the truth about the hardships of loving

There are definitely times in life when love rises to the occasion in difficult circumstances, and these women all shared testimonies that have encouraged and challenged me to love well. Most of the time, though, love happens in small, unseen ways more times than we can count in a day. After these extraordinary stories of how women have loved, how can I fail to love in the many small ways asked of me each day? Here are the first things that came to my mind ...

• Make a meal for someone in our home who will feel taken care of
• Make a meal for someone not in our home will also feel cared for
• Text a friend who needs to know she's remembered
• Pray for a friend who is facing a challenge or fear
• Instead of muttering about someone's mess, cleaning it up to say "I love you" 
• Starting the day with a house that says "Bright, hopeful, supportive," before we go into the world
• Taking the cart back to the store for the older lady in the parking lot
• Saving a diaper coupon for a young mom at church, now that I don't need it
• Taking games to the family shelter, because all children need to play
• Turning off the laptop and making eye contact when I listen to someone
• Putting away my cell phone so I can talk to the cashier
• Getting up to fill my husband's coffee cup, just because I love him
• Shutting the door and sitting down alone for as long as I can hide to listen to my Heavenly Father

Usually doing something for love is so small and doesn't require a lot, except for setting myself aside. And the amazing thing is that when we practice every day for love, we're ready for the moments when it's extraordinary.

John 13:34 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Tomorrow I can't wait to share with you a way that believers in my hometown are "loving" our city. It's exciting! Maybe you'll love your hometown this way, too.


How does love look for you each day?