Another Battle

As Christians, our lives are a daily battle between our human desires and what we know we should do to follow Christ.

Today, I'm sitting here, unsure of what to do. I'm not one to be without words. They are, after all, my art. But having received news that a long-time friend had lost her only child, I'm at a loss. I met this woman when our children were around 18 months old. They went to daycare and school together, played at the fire station, and played soccer together. They were almost like brother and sister. We even went on vacations together.

Today, I sat at my friend's side with nothing to say. No word of hope or consolation. Only love. And you know what? That’s OK. That’s all we need to do. Love.

Leviticus 19:18 tells us, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord." That's all we need to do, LOVE. God will do the rest.

Matthew 5:4 says, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." Through the love we show. Just by being there, no spoken word is required. "The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit," Psalm 34:18.

We cannot take the pain away, but we can help to carry it. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, we can help bear the day-to-day routine's burden. We can show the love of Jesus as we allow our friends to rest. We can remind the broken, "The Lord God is with them wherever they go." Joshua 1:9. And remind them that God gives peace. "Peace I leave you; my peace I give you" John 14:27.

So, as I sit here in silence, pondering my thoughts and actions, I know the one thing I must continue to do. Love my neighbor as I love myself. Because I "AM" said so.