And THIS is LOVE....

God has called His people to LOVE. To love abundantly in a world filled with darkness and sorrow and hate and war and destruction. Throughout the New Testament, LOVE is repeatedly emphasized.

LOVE is a very easy thing for me. I love to "love". Whether children or elderly or the poor or homeless or people in crisis, I love to show I care. I have done it all my life. Which means I will probably die poor in this world, because for me LOVE IS AN ACTION VERB! There are so many people in crisis, people who are needy, hurting and suffering. To LOVE such people requires ACTION. And so often, this action must include sacrificial GIVING of ourselves and our resources as well. I cannot stop giving. No matter how limited my finances or material things at times, the giving does not stop.The love of God in my heart compels me to LOVE and to SERVE and to GIVE.

Recently I spent two months with a family living in poverty conditions in the mountains of West Virginia. Both parents have various illnesses, and one of their two children is autistic. Out of sheer compassion and concern, I stayed with them for two months to do the work the wife or husband could not do or were limited in doing.

I performed much quality cooking and cleaning. At times it was very hard work. I took their oldest son (not autistic) on nature hikes and gave him some outdoor hiking gear. His outdated shoes were three years old: I bought him a new pair of shoes of his choice. Sixteen years old, he had never known what it meant to own or ride a bike. I bought him the bicycle of his choice and taught him how to ride it. HE WAS ELATED!I taught him how to make outdoor campfires and other outdoor skills.I spent much time in prayer with them. And when support came in for my ministry, I ministered to their financial needs out of that. Much of my personal support money received was spent on their many needs. But how could LOVE do otherwise???

When a vehicle was donated to my ministry while I stayed with them, I immediately turned over the title of my car to them for use: they desperately needed a second vehicle.

This IS Christian love in action. We are all called to love one another as Jesus Christ loved us and laid down His life for us. "Love" is worthless unless backed by genuine actions proving that love.

If we as Christians would all purpose to share more LOVE IN ACTION with a dying world all around us, we could CHANGE THE WORLD!

May God fill all our hearts with deeper and more abundant, sincere love so that we all can make a difference. Now.

-Pamela Rae Schuffert