Love Never Fails-Heidi McLaughlin
Posted: December 3, 2017
Since I’ve come back from Romania many people have presented a valuable question. “So Heidi, what difference do you think you made over in Romania?” Initially this question caught me off guard and I responded with the most obvious answers, “Well, we helped clean a church, put on Ladies Teas and handed out gift bags, and helped create an atmosphere for a Canadian Thanksgiving.”
Upon reflection I realize I did not change the world with those helpful gestures. I simply took two weeks out of my luxurious life to try to show God’s love to an impoverished country through acts and words of love and kindness. In the last three days I’ve taken long walks and asked God this puzzling question, “God, how did I make a difference?” Today the answer came as clear as though it was written on a banner in front of my eyes.
“LOVE NEVER FAILS”
At Christmas time we send out shoeboxes filled with delightful items we think the other person will like. Will these gadgets, books and crayons change someone’s life? Perhaps momentarily until everything breaks or is lost.
So why bother?
It has become clear to me that it’s not the scarves or jewellery we gave the ladies. It wasn’t the Thanksgiving decorations or the beaded bracelets. It was the chain of love that started in Canada and was fully birthed as we touched and hugged each woman, child and teenager. It started with the ladies in my home church withtheir outpouring of love with scarves, lotions, jewellery and soaps. This chain of love continued as each woman in Romania received these gifts. We took those moments to help them wrap their scarves and kiss them on their cheeks. I witnessed each member of our team wrap the loving arms of God around every woman and child.
To receive love is to get a greater glimpse of the face of God.
“If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV) Our team in Romania served in love. How do I know this so assuredly? Each time we left a village our hearts were wrecked because we had created loving relationships that we had to leave behind. When we kissed a wrinkly cheek, held a crying baby or played UNO it was done with God’s love. Because “love never fails” I know we planted many seeds of love that will grow and find their destiny in eternity.
Having settled this in my heart, I know I would do it again and again. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
