Do you share love notes and little things that help you stay happy with the One who made you and the ones you love? Last week’s story stressed keeping hearts fertile and focused on blessings that come when we bear fruit of the spirit. Can you list the nine fruits that help mold and make us by the Master’s plan? Jesus came to teach by example the power of love. He shared loving words and ways that stuck in His disciples’ and family’s hearts like a burning bush. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, God’s good news gospel grew by leaps and bounds because His Son lived, died for our sins, and loved beyond anything witnessed in the world. Even the educated Pharisees – with crusted, cold hearts – could not understand the message of agape love and forgiveness of sins the Man who walked on water lived by. Jesus was drawn to people who humbly sought Him out and honored who He was…even when they didn’t understand but simply believed.
Believing in God our Creator and His Son, Jesus – while enjoying living our loud in love with His Spirit being right at home in our hearts – is a wise and wonderful way to spend our time here and eternity in Heaven. When our time here ends, will we leave a legacy of spreading love and little things that made a big difference in people’s lives and God’s world? The choice is up to you and me…will we choose the wide or narrow road to walk? Will we honor our Father and family by loving deep and wide or sit on the politically correct, Pharisee minded fence refusing to walk the walk and talk the talk of love? It only takes a spark of love to get a passionate fire going that can bring people blessed peace while standing on the promises of Christ our King. Remembering holding a green hymnal together while standing beside mother in church ( a little thing that made a big difference in my life) these lyrics ‘when nothing else would help – Love Lifted Me’ makes my heart sing. I never told her how pretty she sang and how I appreciate today that she and Daddy brought us up in church loving the Lord and doing little things. Sharing with loved ones things near and dear in our hearts makes them happy now and us deeply thankful when they (or we) depart. Never miss an opportunity to share the love of the Lord and your love for people He puts in your path to share your life with!
May these love stories – shared in a month when love is celebrated with Valentine’s cards and gatherings – tender your heart to continuously share simple, sweet love notes and do little things that will mean the world to you when someone you love is gone or has been called Home.
Tim and I never stopped sharing cards, love notes, and precious getaway times even when cancer knocked at our door. My prayer room has special cards with divine words written by Tim from 1970 until 2007. The little black journal he took on a two-week mission trip to Venezuela sits on the bookcase by my recliner. Tim filled the pages with little things (God experiences) that made a big difference in our lives raising our sons. One of my favorite love notes comes on a page when Tim told how Mr. Jones encouraged him to eat the burgers at their farewell feast, even though they were ant-infested. Tim said, “Baby, I just couldn’t.” He ended that page with words that have been read tons of times and still bless my heart 40 years after he wrote them, “Becky, when I get home I will hold you and Cameron close and tell you ‘I love you’ over and over and over. I will never leave you again. Love, Tim.”
Tim planned surprise little ‘together times’ that fueled our love in big ways. One of the sweetest and last times we shared before Tim lost his voice, came during his battle with cancer. Tim decided he was going to church one Sunday morning, even with my pleas to have church at home. He dressed in a suit, tie, bedroom shoes, and gorgeous peppered grey hair perfectly in place. He started down the hallway from our bedroom but swayed and hit the floor with me trying to soften his fall.
A gentle stirring said, “don’t call for rescue as you have done before, don’t make a big deal of him trying to do something he wasn’t able to do, don’t panic, pout and baby him, don’t spoil a blessing…make this a ‘time together’ you’ll long remember.’ Not fully understanding, I trusted the voice that spoke to my heart and He set things in motion. I ran to our bed, retrieved Tim’s pillow, put it under his head, took off his bedroom shoes and my high heels, gave him a big kiss, and laid down beside him in the hallway. For two hours, we shared stories, laughter, tears and little things that had made a big difference in our 38 years together. We read scripture and prayed, held one another in silence and made the top 10 lists of amazing things God did in our lives. We ran our fingers through one another’s hair, kissed, held one another and felt the power of passionate love that would never die. Then, we heard the door open and Clint, our youngest son, walked in to find us okay while helping his dad get up and in his chair on a red-letter Sunday. That special Sunday date morning was one of the sweetest times we shared. That memory is a gift God gave me to open over and over, a little thing we experienced together that helped my heart heal, and a powerful testimony that being Mary minded (settling down beside a loved one to listen and share stories from the heart) in Martha situations (trying times when sickness or stressful situations push panic buttons to do, do, do) may be the little thing we do that makes a difference in our lives here and in eternity.
The rest of this story is coming soon. Until then, take time to write some love notes and do little things together that fuel your faith and restore passion for your heavenly Father and the family He gave you to love and cherish…’ till death parts you. And one day, our time here will end and eternity somewhere will forever begin. Let’s be prepared to go and spend it with Him, our Creator, Father, and best friend.
