No greater love...

"Greater love has no one than this, 

that someone lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13 ESV

Valentine's Day is certainly a celebration of romantic love. And truthfully, that is an easy kind of love to identify and celebrate.

After all, romantic love is the kind that makes you smile for no apparent reason, and makes your heart quicken at the thought of your beloved...

But what about the love of a friend? 

That kind of love is much less celebrated and perhaps under-appreciated in our lives.

When Little One was hospitalized Tuesday afternoon (you can read about it here), I knew I needed help with my older two kids while I stayed in the hospital and Brian went to work. I didn't have to think long about who I would call. And when she heard my need, she actually thanked me for calling her!

That is great love. A kind of love that says "I'm so thankful you called me" (especially because she meant it!!!) even when your request calls for a bit of inconvenience on your friend's part.

Another dear friend texted me to tell me she and her husband heard of our need and were praying...from thousands of miles away!!!

Soon I received another text from another sister in Christ who said she would do whatever I needed, and said "Please let me help you..." and meant it...

Laying down your life for your friends, does not need to be a literal death. My friends continue to teach me that laying down your life means overlooking those little inconveniences (like schedules, time or distance) and letting the other person feel the love of Jesus through your actions.


1 Corinthians 13 tells us that we can do all sorts of wonderful things for people but if we "have not love" it is for nothing.



I want to have the kind of love that says "no matter what" instead of "what's in it for me". The kind of love that my friends model for me.

So today I want to say, "Thank you!" to all of my friends for the practical love they pour into my life; not only during emergencies, but every day. They are Jesus' hands and feet and I am blessed beyond measure because of them!

Linking Up:
Our Simple Country Life: Hearts for Home Thursday
Raising Mighty Arrows: Proverbs 31 Thursday

In the blink of an eye...

In the blink of an eye, my whole day changed yesterday.

A wonderful day of homeschool and extra snuggles with Little One changed in an instant when I heard the sickening noise of my baby girl tumbling down the stairs. I couldn't get there to break her fall, all I could do was scream.

She lay still for a moment as we felt her all over and my husband and I prayed over her as we checked her pupils with a flashlight.

She seemed ok...shaken, but fine...

When she started vomiting, I was concerned...

When I couldn't wake her up, all I could do was call out "Jesus!" There was nothing else to say. But I took heart in knowing that he knew what my baby needed and that he was in charge of the situation.

I called the doctor as I was putting Little One in the car...

She was listless and vomiting and we had a long drive to the pediatrician's office...

I prayed for calm and safe travels as my hands shook so bad I could hardly start the car...

We made it to the doctor's office (in record time) and he said she should be admitted...then he said symptoms of skull fracture...and the edges of my calm began to fray...

"Help her, Jesus." Was all I could pray as I carried Little One up the stairs to the hospital.

She looked so small and frail and they started her IV... "Help her, Jesus"...

She slept through her CAT scan... "Heal her, Jesus"...

Then the good news came, she only has a concussion. There is no bleeding or sign of skull fracture.

"Thank you, Jesus!"

God was right there with us through the whole time of driving and waiting. His presence was so close, I could feel him there...

In the blink of an eye, so many things that could have gone wrong were averted. And we saw once again God's tender mercies poured out on our Little One.

Thank you, Jesus!