What Does Love Look Like?

Every now and again I am privileged to be privy to a sacred moment: one of those times when God, Himself, is brushing the strokes of love onto the canvas of life, like that painting instructor I used to love to watch on PBS who always used the "magic white". Grandma Helen Toner and I could sit and watch that painter for hours. Grandma would actually make beautiful paintings afterwards. I would encourage her. I have one of her paintings hanging on my family room wall now.  But I digress.

One of these sacred moments occurred the other at Tuesday morning Ladies' Bible Study at our church. Now this moment just happened to occur in a "highly spiritual" environment, but these moments can occur anywhere. They occur anytime love is creating that "magic white" glow in a portrait of human interaction.

I came in while Grace Pendleton was already teaching (I teach another class across town that "bleeds" into this class' time frame). Grace and I co-teach the class, so I came in and began to put down my bag and Bible Study books, when Grace's sister, Joyce Butterfield, came over and gave me a warm, welcoming hug, and then whispered in my ear, "Be sure and don't sit in front of Grace while she is talking." Grace was teaching from a sitting position, and her sister graciously protected her ability to be seen and heard, while showing me love at the same time!

But wait, there's more! After class, Grace was talking to me about Joyce's picking up and holding darling baby Nahmaiah King, who was crawling around on the floor of our class that morning. Little Nahmaiah was becoming fussy, so Joyce picked her up to comfort her and entertain her while Grace and I led the discussion.

"My sister, Joyce, finished her chemotherapy for her cancer, but I hope her immune system is strong enough to keep her well, I know the baby has been sick this week, but I wouldn't say anything!"

Watching two sisters love one another and love other people in the process was a sacred moment, a moment when God's brush stroked "magic white" onto the canvas of life, and I was privileged to observe and study that interaction.

Now, if I can do like Grandma Helen Toner and reproduce those efforts on my own canvas...!

--Posted by Mama O.