“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34)
Yesterday morning I walked into the Waffle House. I sat down at the low bar next to a man named Dennis. He is a regular at the Waffle House. When my family and I moved to Madison, Al back in 2012 and I first walked into and was greeted to Madison by the words “Welcome to Waffle House,” Dennis was at the low bar. So I have been having morning conversations with Dennis now for almost 9 years. During those 9 years some things have changed, Dennis, who is now 77 years old, has needed the assistance of a cane to walk for the past year and a half or so, and about the same time ago his wife developed breast cancer.
In the 9 years I have been sharing life with Dennis at the low bar, I have never met his wife. He retired from working at the city, she still had a part time day job, so she never comes. Yesterday, morning sitting next to Dennis, I asked how his wife is doing. In a quiet voice he said today was her last radiation treatment. She had to go through several rounds and almost a year of chemo treatment. Then she had the surgery to remove her breasts. Then she had to go through rounds of radiation on the areas she had surgery. He said next week they have to go to a liver doctor as the chemo treatments damaged her liver and they are not sure if she will need dialysis or not. I told him I was so sorry and I asked him how he was doing?
Dennis’s eyes teared up as he talked. He said he hates seeing his wife in this condition. She has been reduced to skin and bones. She is so weak and frail. He raised his one arm and pointed to his bicep area and said her skin just hangs from her arms when she lifts them. And she has been so sick. He said taking care of her and all the daily trips to chemo, radiation, blood and other treatments takes all his time. They had plans to travel with their children, but those are gone. Dennis said has thoughts at times and complains that this is not fair for this to be happening to him at this late of time in his life. With a tear running down his cheek he said, but then I look at her, and she is going through a whole lot worse than he is, and she is the one to be saying this is not fair, and I stop complaining and keep on loving her.
By this time my eyes were tearing up, and I asked Dennis if there was anything I could do for him; bring him a meal or something. He said no, but thank you so much for asking him about his wife, and then taking the time to just sit and listen to him.
We are called by Jesus to “Love our neighbors.” Loving othersextends beyond warm feelings or treating people with simple courtesy when we are out in community (although that is not a bad place to start). It involves taking time and listening (for many people, being heardis so close to being lovedthat they can’t tell the difference). When we simply listen to someone we our placed in a holy moment were we enter their lives, enter their pain, enter their joy, we enter their needs, we become an example of Christ in their live, we love our neighbors.
My family, I pray this morning you will ask the led Holy Spirit to lead you into the ministering and serving other and obey Jesus’ command to love your neighbors, by placing in your heart and mind the names a few people to call, meet up with, and simply love them by listening to them, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
I would love for you to please share your reflections with myself or others using the comment box below.
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You Thank You!
