LOVE

February is a time when many people celebrate St. Valentine’s Day and Love. Do you remember taking the time to personally make special valentines to give to you teacher, friends, and members of your family? My mom would give me all the supplies needed and I'd spend the day creating small masterpieces to show my love.

Year’s ago in my Youth Group, we discussed the many different kinds of love. We love God, we love our parents, our spouses, our children, our pets, our country, baseball and apple pie. But it’s HOW we love that is important.

“If I could Speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1 (NLT)

Learn “love languages”. That is, learn the ways that people feel loved. Loving others in your own way isn’t hard; simply think of things that make you feel loved and do them for others. Do act of service, give a gift, or spend some time with another. Reaching out and actually touching another from a hug to a simple pat on the hand can fill a heart. A word of praise, encouragement or a smile will warm a soul.

Love for others, in your own way, will often lead you to find God’s purpose for you and allow Him to work through you. Learn to speak “love languages” and you will be doing God’s work.

Love Thy Neighbors

</meta>

I have memories of helping my dad shovel snow while waiting for my friends to come over during a snow day from school.  Dad would be relaxed, smoking his pipe and making a special pile for us to turn into a fort or hill to sled down.  Many times a neighbor would see what Dad was doing and come over to help.  There was a time when neighbors used to help each other, share their days together, watch each other’s children play, or engage in small talk while borrowing a cup of sugar.  It was a time of community, a common bond that easily gets lost in today’s busy lifestyles.

Christians are a friendly lot.  They enjoy making new friends and chatting over a cup of tea or coffee.  Look for God’s purpose among the people around you.  Say “hello” to your neighbors and engage in short conversation.  Consider that God placed you in a particular place to be neighbors to those particular people.  Extend a hand of friendship to your neighbors and see what God may have in store for you.  And… don’t forget, not only the children can bring a friend to church but so can the adults!

During this season of snow and cold weather, invite your neighbors over for coffee and pie.  Wrap up some cookies and deliver them.  Extend your hand of friendship.

“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” – Woodrow Wilson