The Gift of Love

The Gift of Love

Will and Abby finding fun in the snow.

My thoughts go back to the last several days where the temperature here in Minnesota reached as high as the middle 50’s.  This is quite unusual for the month of February and just as rare for the month of March still ahead.  With this warmer weather, I spent several hours outside with the kids playing on the remaining snow.  Later in the evening, I also found myself taking pain relievers for sore shoulders and my back as well.  Sliding on the snow was done at great speeds, and stopping I found was just as fast, especially when you left the snow and ended up on the street.  I reflected later in the day how it was rather crazy to do such things that would afterward bring so much pain.  Do it again, yes definitely!  My love for my children is so deep that I would not hesitate to do it all over in having so much fun with them. 

One wise person once said to me, “Augie, when you are on your death bed, who do you want to be there?”  I didn’t hesitate to know that it would be my family.  I remember my uncle that I adored so much, telling me about his children being around him when he had a severe heart attack.  He later related to me how much his children loved him and wanted him to get better.  He conveyed that he was so much a part of their lives that for him to go would be such a great loss for them.  At that moment, he decided that he wanted to get better fast, to be with them again.  A man of God who desired to follow Jesus in whatever he did, this man chose to minister to his children first. 

Our early morning visitor

1 Timothy 5:4 and 5:8 the Bible talks about caring for family, and ties this equally to one’s faith.  Caring for one’s family is very important in the eye's of God and we should strive to do the same.  In this mobile society it is hard sometimes to do this since we are so spread apart by distance.  Phone calls, letters, emails and cards are so very important to family, especially family members who live far away.

As I sit here typing, my little daughter came up to the table and started wrapping a birthday present for her grandma.  She colored a sheet of paper with pretty designs and found Christmas wrapping paper to put it in.  I have a hunch that her grandma will love this very much, especially knowing that her granddaughter came up with this gift all on her own.  Expressions of love we give to our children are indeed passed down to the next generation.  What better legacy to give our children, than our gift of love to them.  I remember reading about a little girl who was concerned about giving too much love away for fearing it might run out.  She asked her mother about her problem and being a wise parent, she said to her little one, “ Sweetheart, the more love we give to others, the more love we are given, thus our hearts will always be filled with love.”  Share your love today with a family member and you will be blessed in so many ways.

Have a wonderful day!  Augie