Faith, Hope and Love

I Corinthians 13:13

And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

At least a couple of days out of each week, I get the privilege of making my bed.  You’re probably thinking to yourself, “What kind of a sick person thinks that making the bed is a privilege?”   Call me crazy if you like, but for me, it is therapeutic on many levels.  First, it allows me to display one of the skills I learned and perfected in the Marine Corps.  As my wife frequently says, “Nobody makes a bed like Henry”!  I do get a measure of satisfaction in doing something and doing it well, even if it is something as mundane as making a bed.

Secondly, it gives me a chance to be of service.  It blesses me and makes me smile knowing that someone appreciates something I’ve done for them.  Besides, I DO sleep in the bed, too, right?  It’s only fitting and proper that I should make it when I have the opportunity to do so.  And I will admit that I actually like having a nice, neat bed to crawl into at the end of a long day.  There’s just something very comforting about that. 

Lastly, making the bed reminds me of today’s Scripture passage, which is the foundation for my philosophy of life.  You knew I was going to get around to tying it in somehow, didn’t you?  But how does it remind me of today’s passage, you ask?  Well, let me explain…You see, my wife is the decorator of our bedroom, so we have pillows everywhere.  Big ones, small ones, lacy ones, fluffy ones.  What can I say, she likes pillows.  Anyway, 3 of the small pillows are embroidered with the words “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Love”.  Every time I see them, I think about what each word means to me.  Faith:  Having a belief in something bigger than yourself, even if you can’t see it with your own eyes. Just knowing that ANYTHING is possible, thanks to the One who is in control of everything!  Hope:  Never giving up, even when the odds seem overwhelming. With God, there is always reason for hope.  Love:  The GREATEST!  Nothing is better, more powerful, or capable of changing things than love.  Even in a world seemingly overcome with hate, love is triumphant!  I firmly believe that if you have a little faith, never lose hope, and share love, that you can change the world in which we live, and help to make it a better place for everyone!  Isn’t that just the GREATEST?  

Love in Jesus,

Hank