Thursday, August 8, 2013

What Extravagant Love Looks Like


Tomorrow is going to be a great day.  But before you start wondering what’s on our agenda, I’ll just stop you there.  It’s not going to be great because of something we have planned.  It’s not going to be great because of something we’ve done. 

Tomorrow is going to be great because there’s a woman who lives far away from us that is going to endure one of the most selfless acts I have heard of, and there will be much rejoicing because of her actions flowing out of such a beautiful heart.

Tomorrow, a wife, a mom, a sister, a friend is checking herself into a hospital, and giving away a part of herself so that another young man, whom she never knew, could live. 

Tomorrow, this woman is setting aside her agenda, her social life, her expectations, and her body so that another person could have the opportunity to have an agenda, a social life, expectations, and live in his body.

Tomorrow, three children, one very young, will watch their momma walk out Scripture in a way that so many of us only talk about.  Tomorrow a man is loving others in such a sacrificial way that he is giving his wife up for a period of time so that they can together fulfill a call on all of our hearts: to love each other as Christ has loved us.  Tomorrow, family and friends will wait and watch a beautiful act of selfless love enter this world. 

Tomorrow is going to be a great day.

A very good friend of mine’s sister-in-law heard about a young boy who desperately needed a kidney to save his life.  Not knowing whether she was a match, she boldly and courageously asked the question, Why not me?  She didn’t use her busyness as an excuse.  She didn’t use the odds of matching this need as a reason to stay away.  She was moved in her heart to help another, like so many of us are moved.  The difference is that she went way beyond being moved, and instead moved herself into action.

I don’t know this woman personally, but I’d love to meet her.  She’s a hero, although I’m sure she’d never consider herself as such.  She’s an example, although the motivation of her heart was not to lead, but to love.  We talk a lot about how much we love the Lord, but eventually this love should overflow into life changing encounters with others.  Her intense love for her Maker inspires me, and draws me to a place where I desire to extravagantly love.

Tomorrow, she is giving life to a child, but she is giving glory to God.  Matthew 25: 31-46 says this:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

Her name is Kim.  Pray for her and her family tomorrow as she does this amazing act of love for a boy who needs extravagant love, but ultimately for her King. 

Tomorrow, let’s love others extravagantly right alongside of her, however you feel led.

Tomorrow is going to be a great day!