February 14, 2005

[Rev. Doc]

Precious Love

"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
I Corinthians 13:3

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him.

She did so without hesitation.

The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

"I've been thinking," he said.

"I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."

Do we freely give the love within us without hesitation?

Prayer: Ask God to help you be an extension of His love to the world.

"Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means."
~Leo Buscaglia