“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13).
Perhaps the most powerful experience I ever had with another human being was when my father attended an Adventist church for the first time. He and I washed each other’s feet during the communion service, and the tears freely streamed down our faces. Love flowed between us as we extended to each other mercy, forgiveness and healing. My father’s love was tangible.
Around the age of twelve, I was hospitalized for persistent high fever. After running multiple tests, the doctors identified the problem and performed the required surgery. My mother was with me in the hospital, changing my bedpans throughout the night as I recovered from the aftereffects of the anesthesia. It was my parents’ 15th wedding anniversary. My mother’s love was sacrificial.
We adopted my sister when she was three, barely understanding the extent of her intellectual challenges at the time. When I was younger, I resented the attention she required, yet she persistently nurtured me with her simple gestures throughout her life. She melted my stony heart with her innocent kindness and ultimately succeeded in teaching me how to be more compassionate. My sister’s love was quiet and consistent.
Among my most precious memories is having our children, Hannah and Sarah, rest upon my chest when they were infants. Whether they were taking a nap, or as I brought them in from the vehicle, or they leaned up against me in church or during family worship, I learned from the children to simply rest in joy and peace. Their love is trusting.
Clyde Morgan, the founder of AFM, sought me out during some of the darkest days of my life. He gathered some of my closest friends to share in a public lament for the losses I experienced. His thoughtfulness and that of my friends, nurtured my soul when I was emotionally numb and vulnerable. Their love was fraternal.
When I first met Jesus Christ, I was desperate — a drug-addicted, demon-possessed alcoholic. An international banker, I was smoking three packs of cigarettes a day and taking intense anti-psychotic medications. Accepting Jesus as my Savior by faith and knowing that He died on Calvary for me, that He set me free from these addictions and replaced all the fear, guilt and shame with mercy, freedom and joy. The love of Jesus is transformative and eternal.
If you have accepted the love of Jesus, you know how He has met the needs of your heart. One author correctly stated, “Only by love is love awakened.” And Jesus has said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Our world is in desperate need of faith; we long for hope; but the greatest need for every person and every culture is love. We are asking you to pray and consider your response to the love of Jesus. Might you be willing to go and share the love of Christ with the unreached? It may be the greatest love you can show the Savior. Please contact us at recruiter@afmonline.org or 800.937.4236, and we will help you get started.
