Love Thy Neighbor

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

Last night Scott and I read the daily devotion from Night Light for Parents. This was the scripture and the devotional asked if our child[ren] are able to see the commandment to love your neighbor through us. We hope so, and certainly want to show Emma as she gets older the importance of this.

CS Lewis describes the love in this commandment as a choice, not a feeling. Love is action, intention and motivation. Feelings are too changeable. God wants us to love our neighbors in acting in their best interests as we would our own.

We have been incredibly touched by the love that we have been shown by our neighbors during this difficult time. Our church family has been wonderful and continues to provides meals and prayer support for us, in addition to great friendship. Our families have been there for us at all times and even raked up the leaves we did not have time to take care of (thank you!!!). Our close friends have given us grace and understanding when we have been so focussed on Emma.

There have also been other instances that have been unexpected and touched our hearts so much. We did not realize (as many people don't) the wonderful people we have living around us. Our next-door neighbors Joe and Helen have given us delicious meals, rides when my car goes nuts and just looking out for us.

On Monday when we were home for the evening Scott went to go outside and put the trash bags full of leaves (thanks again!!) to the curb. When he went out they had already been moved! We have no idea who did it but we really appreciate it!

Yesterday we came home and found a lovely poinsettia on the doorstep from our other next-door neighbors down the street with a nice card!

We have had cards from people in the UK who have been reading the blog, whom we've never met but they have become our neighbors and we appreciate their encouragement.

You have given me a great demonstration of God's command to love our neighbor and I hope that we can show Emma by example also!

If you notice, the first part of scripture says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. " I didn't overlook this! If we are able to love our neighbors with the fervor they deserve, we can only do so when we also love God first. When we realize all things come from God and belong to God, including our time, stuff and heart, we can then be more free to give those things to others to honor God.

If you hadn't noticed, many people in this world are focussed on self and are missing out on the joy of loving and giving to others. (I'd be lying if I said I didn't fall in to this category some times!) I thank God that he has been showing me that it is possible to find real neighbors in this crazy world!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas this year. Without Christ I don't know where I'd be today!

As it is, I spent the day with my beautiful daughter who is doing well and waiting for her broncoscopy. She wants to be held all the time, and it's tough not to oblige when she looks at you with her big eyes! I'll have to get tough though, or I'll never get anything done when she comes home!