Love is a verb

You've heard the phrase "actions speak louder than words" I'm sure...

Well, a couple Sundays ago, (Mar 27) the sermon was all about this, but in a way I'd never really processed before. Things I'd heard, but not really connected the dots in such a way. Our interim pastor has done just a wonderful job of supplying our needs while we're without permanent leadership. I'm very grateful for the man that God has given our church for this season.

Allow me to set the scene for you:

My mom had just left that morning and I was very emotional about it.

I couldn't find a pen so I began writing sermon notes with a crayon. (There is the proof I'm a mom, right?)

Jody started asking the congregation for verbs.

Huh?

He said "really! Give me a verb. ... we all know what a verb is right?"

So people started slowly saying things like "jump, run, dance"

And he said. "Good! Now give me a Christian verb"

And people began saying "Pray, worship, serve"

He nodded along.

He said "You know what? Love is a verb."

And that is where my notes start. And I've been staring at this bulletin a lot over the past two weeks... I'll share my notes in bold and my current thoughts as well...

LOVE IS A VERB.

Do you know that? Are you aware that LOVE is a VERB. It has ACTION to it and without the action it is just not truly love. Don't just love in WORD but in DEED-- in ACTION.

huh.

My mom had just spent three weeks here in Georgia, away from my dad, away from her job, away from her mom, away from her normal routine, away from her house, her bed... and she GAVE gave gave gave... She LOVED us and *SHOWED* us so much love. She played with my children and gave of herself. She loved me enough to scrub my bathroom even while on a conference call one day. She loved me enough to scrub down the laundry room --- ugh and do loads and loads of laundry. She loved me enough to shuttle my big kids back and forth to preschool. She was my personal taxi. She got up with the crazies earlier than sane people should. She went to bed late. She served me out of love these three weeks and I can never say thank you enough. She showed me how to put LOVE in ACTION these weeks. I miss her terribly.

The text from that Sunday was 1st John 3:11-18 We are taught to love one another: this is what we have been taught from the beginning. You should be in LOVE with one another--- and if you do not, you do not abide in Him.

Love puts down personal interest for the sake of giving. And this is what my mom did. And I love her.

LOVE---SERVE---BLESS---HELP

These are the ACTION words we should be living out daily.

Thank you mom.

Here are some moments we can treasure.