LOVE
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:34-40
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophecy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, then do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12: 6-13
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
I LOVE being a nurse. I LOVE my church. I LOVE going on mission trips. I LOVE children. I LOVE making a difference in someone’s life. I LOVE Haiti. If you haven’t caught on yet, my word that I am choosing is LOVE. Love can take on so many meanings and apply to so many aspects of life. Whether it is loving a significant other, a child, a best friend, or a favorite candy, love is something that everyone needs to give as well as receive. My goal for all of us is to travel to Haiti in a few short weeks with hearts full of love for these beautiful people.
Everywhere in the Bible, God calls us to love one another and stresses over and over how much He loves us. In the verse above, He calls us to love the least of these and explains that every time we help someone in need, we are also glorifying and loving Him as well. We all have various talents and gifts that we are taking to Haiti that, along with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, equip us to do just this. By providing medical and speech care, teaching skills, pastoral support, financial advice, and a general willingness to serve, we carry more than enough potential to touch many many lives in the ten days we will be serving in Haiti.
When I was in Haiti last year, I was overwhelmed with the amount of love that the Haitians we were working with and serving showed us. Children who are complete strangers came running up to us with open arms simply hoping for a loving hug in return. Adult brothers and sisters in Christ, opened their hearts to us sharing their whole life stories including many heart-breaking struggles they have encountered along the way. The Haitians showed more love towards Jesus during worship than I have ever seen, praising and thanking Him for the very little they have.
My hope for this trip is to show everyone the love of Jesus Christ, serve as many people as we can, constantly be aware of our Father’s love that always surrounds us, and savor/learn from the wonderful love that the Haitians share.
Lauren Culler
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