I have learned, over these past few years, that loving God and loving each other is a way of life, not a 9-5 job. Loving people isn’t a feelings. Its an action.
A couple weeks ago, on Saturday, I was on my way back to my apartment from doing some grocery shopping. My friend and I saw an old Aboriginal woman laying on her side on the sidewalk, right next to a busy intersection. We stopped to ask if she was ok, and I assumed that she was just drunk, but, to my surprise, she looked up, fully alert, and asked for help. She wanted directions to a park that was only about 10 feet from where she was lying and that’s when I realised that she is blind.
She told us how her family left her and she couldn’t see where she was going so she just laid down at that spot on the sidewalk where we found her… waiting for help.
The thought of how many people must have past by this woman without stopping to help her really hurt and angered me.
We helped her stand up, gather her things, and take the short walk to the park she wanted to go to. Then we were able to get her some food and sit with her a while. Her name is Janet and she is from the Aboriginal communities up north. We chatted for about 20 minutes and were able to share about the love of God and pray for her and for reconciliation between her and her family! She shook our hands and called us “sisters”. Such and incredible connection with this woman.
A couple weeks later, we found her again in this park, sitting together with her family! We, again we able to sit with her and chat with both her ad her family.
As Christians, we are commanded to love each other. It’s not just nice feelings towards one another, it is action. I am broken hearted by how often we can pass by people in pain and in darkness because we get so caught up in our own business or selfishness.
God, please grow us in loving one another as you do. Amen.