Love that Lifts the Load
Lawd have mercy, friend! What a treat to have you stoppin’ in today. So, pull yourself up on this here ol’ front porch like you just watched a lil’ ol’ rooster try to negotiate peace with an onery ol’ goat that wasn’t in the mood. Now, git yourself settled in real good while the crickets git to tunin’ up their evenin’ choir performance, and a lil’ ol’ squirrel darts across the yard like it’s plum late for a church meetin’ it forgot about. Life hands us moments that make us stop and think just like that. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” That verse settles over us like a cool patch of shade on a blisterin’ day. It plum reminds us that the way we show up for folks is preachin’ a sermon even when our mouths stay shut.
I remember watchin’ a neighbor of mine years ago. Mr. King was a quiet man, the kind that would help you mend a fence without sayin’ more than ten words. He lived just around the corner from my house. One summer afternoon, his old pickup coughed, sputtered, and quit right in the middle of the road. It sat there shakin’ and rattlin’ like a possum that got caught sneakin’ eggs and actin’ like it just realized it had made a terrible life choice. Before he could even pop the hood, folks started showin’ up like it was a community fire drill. Old Mr. Talbert jogged over with a toolbox that rattled louder than a woodpecker on a tin roof. Miss Patsy waddled up with a jug of cold water, fussin’ at the truck like it was a child who’d misbehaved. Young Tommy arrived with jumper cables and a grasshopper clingin’ to his shirt like it had been appointed foreman of the whole operation. Another neighbor pulled around with his tractor, just in case a tow was needed. Someone else brought a fan to cool the engine. And one fella even showed up with a plate of cornbread because he said, “Breakdowns go better with snacks.” Friend, that scene preached louder than any Sunday sermon. Nobody asked for applause. Nobody asked for credit. They just carried his burden because that is what love does.
Ephesians 4:2 tells us, “Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” And Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” That verse sits in the heart like a dragonfly hoverin’ over the still water in the cattle trough. It reminds us that kindness ain’t never wasted. God sees every quiet act of love, every burden lifted, every shoulder offered, every moment we choose patience over frustration.
Your children are watchin’. Your grandchildren are watchin’. Your neighbors are watchin’. Your friends are watchin’, too. And that there next generation is sho’-nuff’ learnin’ what commitment looks like by how you handle the hard seasons in your life and in the lives of those around you. You may think you’re just fixin’ a flat tire, helpin’ a friend move, or sittin’ with someone who’s havin’ a rough day. But you are preachin’ a sermon of hope. You are preachin’ a sermon of faithfulness. You are preachin’ Christ.
Father, thank You for the burdens You trust us to carry. Thank You for the people You place in our path. Teach us to love well, serve humbly, and show patience that reflects Your heart. Help our lives preach Your goodness even when our mouths stay quiet. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, you gotta be lettin’ this here truth settle in your spirit like a lil’ butterfly landin’ on a fence post after a mighty long flight; so let it sink real deep into your heart and take with you. Your life is speakin’ even when you’re not talkin’. Your kindness ripples out farther than you know, like a creek that keeps flowin’ long after the rain stops. Your patience shines brighter than a lil’ firefly in a dark field. And your faithfulness stands taller than a mighty Live Oak tree that has weathered a hundred years of storms. When burdens show up, you’ve gotta carry ‘em with love. Someone right out there is watchin’ and learnin’ from the silent sermon of the way you live your life.
With joy,
Gwen
