1 John 3:18 (NIV)
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Dr. Seuss said, “Don’t cry because it’s over; Smile because it happened!” Many things in life really matter. We all grieve when something is lost or over. But in order for something to be over, it had to come into existence in the first place. And for that to happen, someone needed to do something. Anyone can talk. My Uncle Freddie said, Talkers don’t do and doers don’t talk. You must act if you want things to happen. Zig Ziglar said, “You can say ‘I wish I had or I’m glad I did.’” I want to be a “glad I did” person. How about you?
John tells us that words alone will not suffice. We must love with actions. My friend Lee Rouson says love is a verb. I think that is what John means. Loving others means acting in their best interest. The important part is acting. Talking about love is a waste of time. How do you show someone you love them? What steps do you take that benefit them or improve their lives?
Many people hold their emotions back. I come from a very affectionate family. Feelings are easy for me to share. Not everyone can do that. I have a long-time friend whom I told I loved him. I got a “deer in the headlights” look. He did not know what to do with that. He is getting better now. He is up to the point where he will say, “I know, you love me.” I show him that is true. A little while back, both he and his wife got sick at the same time. To love them (verb), I bought food, took it over there and fed them. Don’t be shy. When you see something that needs to be done, do it! Don’t make excuses or think someone else will come along and take care of it. Show your love by taking action!
What about when something you enjoyed comes to an end? I have gone to Honduras in the Spring for several years now as part of the Dental Mission Trip. We are not going in 2020. It seems our leadership team cannot pull things together because they all have personal commitments. I have looked forward to this trip each year. We have made a lot of friends there. To make it worse, although we have been working our way out of this job for years, it seems as the Team in Honduras can now handle it on their own. One of the students who was in the second class at the school twenty years ago graduated dental school last year. She now handles the dental clinic with some help from her friends. Little did we know that this six-year old girl who first met the dentists when she came to HFH School would grow up to run the dental clinic. That is wonderful news. The bad news (at least from my point of view) is they don’t need us anymore. That era has come to an end. I am sad. But I am trying not to cry because it is over. I hope to sit back and smile because it happened. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him because there is a dental team in Honduras who will carry on the work of loving the children in Jesus name.
In Him,
Robert “Dr.Bob” Springer
The Computer Doctor – I’m not really a doctor but I play one at Network Meetings.
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Robert “Dr. Bob” Springer, CMHG P 908.625.8149
225 Peachtree Drive Rural Delivery #2
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920-3503
[email protected]
www.EncouragementDaily.us
Encouragement Daily Book 366 Daily Devotions
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