The Greatest of These is LOVE

November 23            The Greatest of these is LOVE                                           1 Corinthians 13:13

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

My mother was the greatest example of a person making allowances for others and expressing love for them.  We had a neighbor lady that was a “piece of work!”  Hard, rough and loud; this lady acted as if she hated every one and most people avoided her with a passion, but not Barbara Brock!  Mama would prepare one of her amazing meals and, off we would go to the Troll’s house (that’s what I called her, under my breath).  The Troll would come to the door and Mama would greet her with a smile and a “How are you doing today?”  The Troll would grump at her and then Mama would “push” the food on her and would tell her to be careful because it was hot.  Here is where I come in…”I noticed that your flower bed needs weeding and your grass needs mowing.  Glen will come back and take care of it.”  Thanks a lot Mama!  So, I did go back and I did weed the flower garden and I did mow her grass and I did pick up pine cones and I did notice that she had a hole in the roof of her storage barn, so I went home and got a piece of tin, so that I could patch the hole.  I spent the entire afternoon doing odd jobs.  Just before I was about to leave, the Troll came out, and she was headed straight for me.  She stepped up close enough to whisper to me: wait, is that a smile?  This cannot be!  I was satisfied that she was incapable of a smile!  “Thank You Glen!”  “You are welcome!”  Then she knocked my feet out from under me… “My Son enjoyed collecting Army things, and I was wondering if you would like to have them?”  Stunned, I muttered, Yes!  So, she showed the collection to me and I was “blown away.”  Helmets, Bayonets, Pins, Metals…. “Surely, he wants to keep these!”  “It is ok, I know that he would want you to have them!”  “Don’t you think that you should ask him?” “No, he died ten years ago!”  Immediately, I understood her “Trollness.”  I did not know, and others were not aware of the pain and sense of loneliness that she was experiencing.  My mother, according to this lady, was the only one that reached out to her and showed her any kindness, at all!  The scriptures teach us that Faith and Hope are vitally important in our success as Followers of Christ!  We are to walk in LOVE and that demands Faith and Hope.  In this process of Love, and Loving others, we must put our Faith into practice.  We are called, as believers, to love our neighbor!  The Holy Scriptures does not say, “If we like them or if they are nice or if they act and look like us!”  I was blessed to have a marvelous example of Love In Action!  Mama took people, everyone, for just who they were, and worked to establish a relationship with them, so that she could share the Love of Christ, with them.  The “Troll” and my mother became close friends and the loneliness of her reality, became less influential in her daily life.  Why?  It is simple!  My Mother reminded her that through her pain and through her grief, that there were people that Loved her and were there for her.  I had a dilemma, what was I going to call her now?  The “Troll” wasn’t appropriate now.  As my mother’s relationship grew, with this lady, she became a part of our family and she was included in every family function, great or small.  I grew to Love this lady and she went from the “Troll” to my “Second” Mama; so, I called her Ma Pat!  Two things are clear, in this factual story: My mother’s Faith was active in reaching out to this “unlovable” woman, and secondly, this lady’s reaction was not important to mama’s mission.  She was going to Love her and to reach out to her, regardless of how she responded back to her!  This lady had no family and she was truly alone in this life, until Barbara “burst” into her life!  Ma Pat died some years later, and Mama was right there with her.  I had the honor and privilege to officiate, along with Daddy, at her funeral service.  Mama’s Lesson, straight from the Scriptures:  “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  PUT YOUR LOVE INTO ACTION!  Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!