All We Need is Love

"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." Matthew 25:40-45

What strong words for Jesus to speak. Yet the truth of needing to help all of those around us, is one that is strong in my heart. A few weekends ago, when driving through Atlanta with a friend, I was reminded of those who are down on their luck - whether it be because of bad decisions or bad "luck", does it really matter? It was during those couple of weeks when we were having bitter cold temperatures. There was this man, holding a sign asking for help. Bundled up in his coat (thank goodness he had one), you could tell this poor soul was SO cold, and there was a sadness in his eyes. Cars whishing by him - maybe many were in too much of hurry to be bothered, maybe some were judging him thinking to themselves "get a job, already", and maybe others felt pity for him, but did not stop. I have no idea how long he had been on the streets, but it must have been for a time b/c as he came close, his nails were extremely long and yellowed, his grey beard somewhat long and unkempt. He mentioned trying to get a place for the night to get out of the cold - I regret not asking my friend to find a hotel so I could pay one night for him, but I was able to give him some food.

But I have not been able to get the image of his face out of my mind. The images of all those who are struggling. I can't imagine what it must feel like, to be in such situations, and on top of it there must be some feeling of shame. It's very sad to me, because, I think on top of being given essentials to survive and help if they will accept it, they need love. They need to feel love and feel like a person. God loves them, just as much as He loves us.

So, my prayer for today is for God to use me, to use you, as His instrument of love and peace to those around us. Whether its through helping a neighbor, feeding the poor, or just simply holding a door for a stranger or giving someone a big hug. Love can be found in the little things we do, not just in the big ones.