Love. It’s an overused word. We love everything from Peanut Buster Parfaits to our best friend. Love is overused and perhaps underrated – and definitely underutilized.
The Face Of A Dying Man
Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross is one of the outstanding psychiatrists in the world. She meets with AIDS patients who are dying. Dr. Kubler-Ross couldn’t help but notice the face of a man who would attract anyone.
He had disintegrated with the disease to the point of having holes in his face. She glanced over at him and instead of being in despair he was radiant. She kept noticing him as she talked and tried to encourage these young men.
Finally she said to him: “I wish you would wait a few moments. I want to ask what on earth has happened to you.”
The Power of Love
“Recently, I have wanted to see my family. Last week I called home and my mother answered. I said, ‘Mom, I’m a sick man. I would like very much to come home.’
She said, ‘We’d love to see you.’
When I came up to the door and she opened it, she must have been shocked at my face; but if she was shocked, it didn’t register. She simply threw her arms around me and told me how much she loved me.
You know, everyone should have a moment of unconditional love. I had that moment, and I’m now ready to die.”
Photo by Matt Collamer on Unsplash
The Best Medicine
“Love is the best medicine for the sickness of the world,” said Dr. Karl Menninger, an authority in the field of medicine and psychiatry.
He told his medical staff, “The most important thing you can offer a patient is love. For when people learn to give and receive love, they recover from most of their illnesses, whether physical or emotional.”
God Loves People
To be in the presence of even the meanest, lowest, most repulsive specimen of humanity is still to be closer to God than when looking up into a starry sky or at a beautiful sunset. For we cannot really love a sunset.
We can only love a person.
God is love and in coming to Him, we cannot escape coming through people.
14 Loving Ways To Treat People
1. Believe the best in others
2. Refuse to gossip
3. Reject being judgmental
4. Forgive
5. Be patient
6. Give
7. Put the toilet seat down after use
8. Tell others about Jesus.
9. Cherish your wife
10. Respect your husband
11. Discipline your children
12. Err on the side of mercy
13. Don’t provoke your children
14. Show up.
Unconditional To The End
“Love isn’t always “me first,”
Love doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.” 1 Corinthians 13:5-7 (The Message)
What does love mean to you? Please leave a comment below.
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The, about the toilet seat is priceless.
Hmmmmm, having a husband, two sons, two adopted sons, 2 grandsons and 7 adopted grandsons, you can well understand why I would say what I did.
My mother’s early teaching was “always find some good in everybody”. I saw her live that one day. I was at a women’s function with her and a lady came up to her acusing her of something that I know was not, nor ever could be my Mom. I jumped to defend her and she quietly grabbed my arm, to stop me and replied, “I am very sorry you are so upset.” The woman responded by huffing at my Mom and promptly burst into tears at which time my mother put her hand on the woman’s shoulder and spoke with her gently.
Always find some good in everybody. She lived what she said. Here’s a point for me, “practice what you preach”. I have never forgotten that time. Needless to say the Lord has often reminded me of that many times.
By the way, she never raised her voice to me in all my years with her. I, ashamedly, (is that a word?) Can’t say that in my life. I still have a lot to work on.
Thanks, Pastor Bob, for reminding me of that lesson.
Thanks for this loving and encouraging message, Pastor Bob. I appreciate your 14 Loving Ways to Treat People and The Love Chapter in Eugene Peterson’s The Message–all good heart medicine.