Love = Service = Joy

I John 3:14 -- "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death."

I sat down in the biting cold with my numb legs dangling off the back of a twenty-six foot U-haul truck. The thought occurred to me, I'm getting too old to move an entire house on my own. With my oldest son out of commission due to a concussion and a rather fat neck brace, the bulk of the moving had to be done by my hubby, my fifteen year old son, and yours truly.  Another thought occurred to me - it was going to be a very long week-end, indeed.

Just around the corner came my hero in her blue SUV and elementary school kitchen garb. It's been said that you know who your friends are by checking out who comes to help when you have to move. Well, this is the third move I've made since I've known my hero/friend, and every single time, she's come to help. She feeds us home cooked meals, she cleans up after we've shuffled the last box out, she lugs boxes with us, and is the most wonderful help I've ever known. I have two amazing friends that come calling when the going gets tough, and I can assure you that Friday afternoon as the mist rolled over us and chilled our throbbing muscles, I had indeed felt that I'd passed from death to life when my hero/friend pulled into the drive way. I could have cried tears of joy - but my muscles were just too tired to muster them up.

I have a huge thank you surprise in store for this friend of mine. I'm excited and can't wait until she gets it. The thing is, she doesn't expect thanks. She doesn't expect for me to sing her praises on this blog - because she loves me. Which means, she loves to help.  She loves our Lord, so she loves to serve. It's that simple. 

When John wrote down the verse in chapter 3 of his first book, he was reminding us that we have been purchased with a great price - and we serve to show our great love and gratitude for the One who paid that price. It's not guilt, it's not to rack up some browny points - it's because we love. What greater thanks could be given than to serve with heart full of gratitude and love for our Savior? I can think of none.

If my hero/friend can take time away from her busy schedule and family to help me move a four bedroom house because she loves me - how much greater should our desire to serve fill us with motivation as we are loved by The One who snatched us from the jaws of eminent death and placed us gently into life at His side? 

And He did all this? ... by spilling his own blood!  

Our service is a loud voice expressing gratitude, expressing love, and living that life that Jesus paid for - to the fullest. It doesn't get any more grateful than that. What joy in the sharing of such a precious, precious love!