A Testament to Love
Read: Isaiah 40: 29-31
Fish and tater tots may be yummy, but certainly not creative or even healthy. It was all I had the strength to make after Gary and I had spent two and a half days clearing and chipping hundreds of tree limbs. As I age, things that wouldn’t have fazed me suddenly require ibuprofen. Not that Gary and I have slowed down very much – we just whine more afterwards.
I have a new inspiration that encourages me for 25 to 30 years down the road. As most of you reading this know, my dad recently had to be hospitalized because of his heart. He always seems invincible. (No doubt he likes that description – although he might prefer the word perfect!) Not long before that, my mother lost sight in one of her eyes. She’s had a lousy back for years so taking away her depth perception really messed up her mobility – or at least her comfort with her mobility. A long walk down a long hospital hallway should have been a huge stumbling block. But it wasn’t. I have a witness to that. When Charlie took her to the hospital to see Dad, the long hallway looked out of reach. When he asked if she could do it, she said, “Well I have to.” And she did. I wanted to come stay with her so she wouldn’t be home alone, but she convinced me that she could do it on her own. And she did. An amazing strength rose up in her because the man she had loved and relied on for 55 years needed her. I’ve always known they love each other. I am so overwhelmed and moved by the strength of that love – the power it has for both of them. It shows us all how powerful love really is.
The reading from Isaiah (if you haven’t read it, do it, you’ll be glad you did.) is full of hope. Frail, scared, weary, young, old… God channels His strength through us. He sees us through seemingly impossible moments. My parents’ devotion to each other is a wonderful testament to love. It’s not a one way thing. Each gives love and strength to the other. And when they were both beaten down and weary, God stepped in and provided the strength. His devotion is a testament of His love for us. I want to be sure that’s not a one way thing either. In 25 to 30 years I may not be clearing hundreds of tree limbs anymore, but I know that I will have the strength to do anything I need for love.
Thought for the day: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you so very much for the strength You give us. The love You have for us is beyond our understanding. Help us to approach that kind of love for You and the people in our lives. Amen.
Jacki Rumpp
Read: Isaiah 40: 29-31
Fish and tater tots may be yummy, but certainly not creative or even healthy. It was all I had the strength to make after Gary and I had spent two and a half days clearing and chipping hundreds of tree limbs. As I age, things that wouldn’t have fazed me suddenly require ibuprofen. Not that Gary and I have slowed down very much – we just whine more afterwards.
I have a new inspiration that encourages me for 25 to 30 years down the road. As most of you reading this know, my dad recently had to be hospitalized because of his heart. He always seems invincible. (No doubt he likes that description – although he might prefer the word perfect!) Not long before that, my mother lost sight in one of her eyes. She’s had a lousy back for years so taking away her depth perception really messed up her mobility – or at least her comfort with her mobility. A long walk down a long hospital hallway should have been a huge stumbling block. But it wasn’t. I have a witness to that. When Charlie took her to the hospital to see Dad, the long hallway looked out of reach. When he asked if she could do it, she said, “Well I have to.” And she did. I wanted to come stay with her so she wouldn’t be home alone, but she convinced me that she could do it on her own. And she did. An amazing strength rose up in her because the man she had loved and relied on for 55 years needed her. I’ve always known they love each other. I am so overwhelmed and moved by the strength of that love – the power it has for both of them. It shows us all how powerful love really is.
The reading from Isaiah (if you haven’t read it, do it, you’ll be glad you did.) is full of hope. Frail, scared, weary, young, old… God channels His strength through us. He sees us through seemingly impossible moments. My parents’ devotion to each other is a wonderful testament to love. It’s not a one way thing. Each gives love and strength to the other. And when they were both beaten down and weary, God stepped in and provided the strength. His devotion is a testament of His love for us. I want to be sure that’s not a one way thing either. In 25 to 30 years I may not be clearing hundreds of tree limbs anymore, but I know that I will have the strength to do anything I need for love.
Thought for the day: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you so very much for the strength You give us. The love You have for us is beyond our understanding. Help us to approach that kind of love for You and the people in our lives. Amen.
Jacki Rumpp
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