Love in the little things...

For a good portion of friends and family, it has been a very rough couple of weeks, and for some on the East Coast, it's looking to be a rough row to hoe for them, as well. I have friends and family in at least two of the States that are experiencing the wildfires...friends and family have been affected by Hurricane Harvey, and now I have friends and family about to be impacted by Hurricane Irma. To top everything else off, now Hurricane Katia has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully she will poop out where she is and not cause any trouble.

All that to say this... love is being found in the little things. Homes that are being or have been devastated, people losing all of their possessions. Its heartbreaking to watch the news right now, when a person who is covered in soot watches what is left of their home disintegrate with the flames before their eyes. Or another person, on a rescue boat, blanket draped over their shoulders, turns and sees their home totally flooded, only the peak of the roof visible. Whole families, huddled together in the corner of a shelter, children finally sleeping, but the stress and anxiety shows on the parent's face while they are caressing their child and counting their blessings...they are homeless, but they are all safe and together. A First Responder wades through the rising water, keeping a family pet above the water as the owner waits in the rescue vehicle, arms outstretched for their beloved fur baby.

All of these things I have seen in the last couple of weeks. Each of these images broke my heart, but I saw something else. Love.

Each time someone gave out a meal, there was love. Every time someone helped a family at a clothing or food bank, there was love. Every time a pet was reunited with its owner, there was love. The fundraising, the giving, the serving, in all of it, there was love.

Disaster Relief Workers, going in to mud out houses. They go in and help the owners or tenants to get the parts of the house that were destroyed out so that it can be rebuilt. They do what is needed to help, but inevitably there is one worker who is not working that we can see. They are talking with the person who lives there. They are giving them hugs. They are praying with them. They are showing the love of Christ...all of them are. The one not working is as important, if not more so, than the ones working, because he or she is clearing out the "junk" that is built up in the person who is watching their home being torn apart. Memories made, washed away with the flood waters, and the emotions that are there are hard to deal with on their own.

Matthew 25: 31-40 says:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy[c] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

In each of these instances, people were helping others, without worrying about being repaid. Black, white, yellow...Christian, atheist, Buddhist...it didn't matter. Someone was hurting and needed help, and people have come in droves to help. I've seen love in one other place, someplace that isn't necessarily the place you would think. Social media.

We've all seen the "Pray for Texas," "Pray for Florida," "Pray for Montana," "Pray for Washington," etc., posts...even if you're not a praying person, chances are you've changed your profile picture to reflect the notion that your thoughts at least are with these people. But beyond that, people have made prayer chains, have expressed their thoughts and prayers individually. People have been checking on people in the affected areas, and have even called them if they had the ability to do so. Safe zones were established on Facebook so that people could mark themselves safe...it's the little things, folks. 

One more example for you. One of the people on my friends list lives in Alaska, having just moved there from Japan. Apparently they've had some pretty stiff winds, and somehow, the gate to their yard was blown open, unbeknownst to them. He let their pup out to do her business in the middle of the night, but when she failed to return, he went out looking for her. He finally found her on the next block, and he was praising God for her safety. Where they live, bears and moose are abundant, she could have easily been hurt or worse, but she was kept safe by God's hand. When he found her, I'm sure her little heart was pumping like crazy, as was his. Love in the little things.

Today, when you go about your business, take the time to do something for someone else. Whether it's to pick up an item that has fallen to the floor, giving directions, helping at one of the many food or clothing banks or shelters, or even saying hello to someone you pass on the street...take that moment and act on it. Your simple act may mean the world to the other person. 

Have a blessed rest of the week and weekend.