Greater Love
By Carolyn Hulliberger
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God…”
1 John 4:7a (NIV)
By Carolyn Hulliberger
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God…”
1 John 4:7a (NIV)
Vesta Burgess was a
mother. She gave birth to eight children and loved them each deeply. The
seventh child was born severely physically and mentally disabled. This child
never talked, never crawled, never walked. Each day of this child’s 14 years,
Vesta fed her, cleaned her, spoke to her, and prayed for her. While many only
saw this child as a burden, and in fact, pushed Vesta to institutionalize her
daughter, Vesta saw only a gift from God that she was to nurture. What great
love!
Mr. McKay was an elderly man who believed in helping impoverished students to achieve their college dreams. A man of means, he would allow young men to live in his home near campus rent-free in exchange for household chores. Even upon his death, his will stipulated that first his assets were to be used to help any students currently living with him to obtain student housing for the balance of the school year. What great love!
Mike’s* wife is leaving him. Oh, she’s still in the house, but she has been diagnosed with dementia. Daily, he sees changes in the woman he loves. Her physical prognosis is good, but her mind is wasting away. He is determined to care for her, despite the emotional and financial challenges facing them for many years to come. What great love!
Jesus commanded us to love sacrificially. We may not have to face dying in the place of someone else, as He did for us, but each of us is charged to lay down our lives…put others first…make another person’s needs a priority. You may not have a loved one that needs physical care. You may not be able to spend a lot of money. Sacrificial love doesn’t have to be extreme. It can be listening, encouraging, or lending a hand.
By the way, my father was the last student who stayed with Mr. McKay. Without the free room, Dad could not have gone to college. Vesta Burgess was my grandmother and I was blessed to have been loved by her, too.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Think of a way today to show someone a little love beyond what you might normally do. And then do it! Some ideas: sending a note, giving a caretaker or young mom a break, or calling a friend with whom you’ve lost touch.
FURTHER READING:
Romans 5:8; John 15:12-13
*Name changed for privacy
Mr. McKay was an elderly man who believed in helping impoverished students to achieve their college dreams. A man of means, he would allow young men to live in his home near campus rent-free in exchange for household chores. Even upon his death, his will stipulated that first his assets were to be used to help any students currently living with him to obtain student housing for the balance of the school year. What great love!
Mike’s* wife is leaving him. Oh, she’s still in the house, but she has been diagnosed with dementia. Daily, he sees changes in the woman he loves. Her physical prognosis is good, but her mind is wasting away. He is determined to care for her, despite the emotional and financial challenges facing them for many years to come. What great love!
Jesus commanded us to love sacrificially. We may not have to face dying in the place of someone else, as He did for us, but each of us is charged to lay down our lives…put others first…make another person’s needs a priority. You may not have a loved one that needs physical care. You may not be able to spend a lot of money. Sacrificial love doesn’t have to be extreme. It can be listening, encouraging, or lending a hand.
By the way, my father was the last student who stayed with Mr. McKay. Without the free room, Dad could not have gone to college. Vesta Burgess was my grandmother and I was blessed to have been loved by her, too.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Think of a way today to show someone a little love beyond what you might normally do. And then do it! Some ideas: sending a note, giving a caretaker or young mom a break, or calling a friend with whom you’ve lost touch.
FURTHER READING:
Romans 5:8; John 15:12-13
*Name changed for privacy
Along
with caring for her husband and two children, Carolyn works as an insurance
representative, serves in Oakwood
Church’s Student
Ministries with an awesome group of junior high girls, and is the treasurer for
Women’s Ministries.
