Living the Light - Love

It’s the holiday season, the time of year when many people are moved to consider how they can be of help to others. Some collect toys for underprivileged children, give to the homeless, deliver meals to families who are in need, help the disabled by doing household chores, or check in on elderly shut-ins to make sure they are warm, have enough food and are encouraged by a bit of good cheer. This is the time of year when hearts are open and some of us are truly at our best.

Recently in the southern and midwestern United States, thousands of people found themselves in the path of destructive tornadoes. The loss of loved ones, homes, businesses, water, and electricity cut a path through our hearts, leaving many with a sense of despair and sadness in its wake. As I was sitting in the dark, reading the online news about what had just happened on my phone, I began to see offers on social media from people who were organizing neighborhood crews to lend a helping hand to those in need. Shelters sprang up in churches and gymnasiums that were still standing in towns where much had been flattened, offering those who were displaced by the storms a warm place to sleep and a hot meal. Individuals and community organizers collected everything from baby food, bottles and formula to blankets, bottled water and meals for those who had lost their homes. There was an overnight outpouring of love-in-action as people stepped up in their desire to be of service to those less fortunate.

This kind of pure, altruistic love is so gentle and strong that it springs forth like warm sunshine following a torrential rain and brightens the days and nights of those who need encouragement and a glimmer of hope in their time of darkness. This kind of love doesn’t require anything in return. Gifts are offered with no strings attached, the reward for the giver is simply the gift of giving; and those who give unselfishly are blessed with an expansion of the heart. Witnessing this expression of love, so quickly and so willingly, gives me hope for the future.

Years ago, I had a friend who really didn’t have an easy life. She wrestled with substance abuse, her husband had been murdered, her children were removed from her custody, and she was trying to exist on a subsistence level income. When the apartment where she was living burned to the ground, destroying all her personal belongings, a mutual friend who knew I needed a house mate introduced us. I agreed for this woman who was ‘down on her luck’ to move into my condo until she could get her feet on the ground and find a place of her own. Little did I know that soon after she arrived, we would bond and become true friends. She lived with me for the next four years.

Her situation was better during those years, but even then, my friend had an uneasy life. It seemed that she was always fielding a new challenge. While some of her problems were of her own making, some were certainly due to circumstances beyond her control. However, she was one of the dearest souls I’ve ever known. In addition to paying me rent, which helped with my expenses during a time when I wasn’t fully employed, she was a spiritual inspiration to me. She had a gentle way about her that never ceased to amaze me. She encouraged me and tried her best to cheer me up when I was feeling down. At that time in my life, I was recently divorced, missing my comfortable home, depressed, and in general, feeling sorry for myself.

One Christmas when my house mate’s family didn’t have any plans for a holiday gathering, I invited her to celebrate with my large extended family. That Christmas she was lucky enough to have her 9-year-old son with her, and I thought he would enjoy spending time with my nieces and nephews. My friend thanked me for the invitation, but quickly answered, “my son and I have made plans on Christmas Day to help serve Christmas dinner at the Nashville Union Rescue Mission. You see, I want him to understand that not everyone is as fortunate as we are.” Immediately I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. She had chosen the better part of service to others. It was a lesson I have never forgotten. My friend is no longer with us. Sadly, she left this world way too soon, but her giving spirit and the desire to model this kind of love for her young son touched me deeply that day.

Love is the anchor of this season, and it is so true that sometimes those who can relate best to the needs of others are the ones who have felt the sting of want and despair themselves. They are often the most generous givers, displaying acts of kindness inspired by the understanding “there but for the grace of God go I.”

Wouldn’t it be grand for us to see a collective spirit of this kind of love that continues far beyond our Christmas and New Year’s celebrations? Perhaps we can challenge ourselves to be examples of love-in-action -- love that has compassion for the hungry and homeless, for those who have weathered storms, losing homes and belongings, and for the disappointed and downtrodden who are lonely and biding their time in prisons, shelters, and refugee camps throughout the world.

This year may our hearts be opened, and our lives touched by the magic of kindness as we let the light of love lead the way, shining far beyond our doorsteps in creation of a more blessed new year.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-5

Donna S. Priesmeyer