Love Demonstrated

[October 19, 2010]   --The story has been told of a construction crew building a high-rise across the street from a hospital. One day when four of them were on the third floor they looked over and saw a little girl watching them out of a third story window in the hospital. She waved and they waved back. All day long, they would exchange waves and smiles. The next morning when they came to work the little girl held a hand written sign reading, "My name is Lisa? What are your names?"

The next morning one of the fellows had brought a piece of poster board and a magic marker from home. The guys wrote, "Hi Lisa, our names are Bill, Terry, Bob and Brad! How old are you?" She wrote back, “I’m seven!”

For several days the fellows looked forward to the notes from Lisa and then on the fifth morning the window was empty, no Lisa and no message. At break time one of the fellows went to the telephone and called the hospital asking for the nurse's station on the third floor. He asked if they could tell him anything about a little 7-year old girl name Lisa who was on their floor in a room that faced the construction site, explaining about the notes they had been sharing. The nurse knew very well of the notes and the little girl named Lisa. The nurse said that Lisa had taken a turn for the worse and had been transferred into the ICU. At lunch the fellows called a florist and had flowers sent to Lisa with a card wishing her well. The next morning when the fellows arrived at work they found a message in the third story hospital window. "Lisa has passed away. Thanks for caring."

When it comes to small children and children who are hospitalized, it’s easy to care. It’s easy to love. It’s not easy to love everyone. And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus wants of us. He commended us to love everyone. He expects us to even love our enemies.
As much as we know that we’re supposed to love all people, it’s seldom easy to do. People offend us. People irritate us. And some of them even dislike us. However, Jesus still demands his followers to love.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you MUST love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35-36)
 

Paul said, “And these three remain; faith, hope, and
love. And the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:13)
So, love everyone! Easy? Seldom! Commanded? Clearly! Will you do it? Good question!
 

[text from file received from Ron Otto, Preaching Minister, Lincoln Christian Church]