“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
The bible says to ask and you will receive. This may not apply when you ask to win the lottery or for your Cheetos to transform into carrots on the way down to your stomach but God will definitely answer our requests to love.
Love is simple.
My friend and I had met up to go to an art museum in Brazil a few weeks before I left. During the morning, I had prayed this prayer to God: Lord, give us an opportunity to love someone today.
We were lost on the way to the museum and we stopped at an information center. There at the counter was a woman with a brace around her neck. When I saw her I knew this was the one we were meant to pray for. After she gave us directions, I asked the woman if it would be alright if we prayed for her. My friend helped translate, and we were able to say a short prayer for God to bless her, her family and her life. This woman started to cry. She hugged us and thanked us for praying. She was loved! My friend told me she couldn’t believe how simple that was and she wanted to do things like this more often!
I believe to love is simple but I think we sometimes forget just how simple it can be.
Love thy neighbor… and thy Über driver.
That same night, my little 12-year old Brazilian brother (not by blood, but by love) and I were in a Über coming home from his youth group. I had the same feeling I had for the woman earlier that day – God wanted us to pray for this driver. Except for this time, I felt strongly that I was not supposed to be the one to pray, but my little brother.
We stopped at the apartment and I told the driver I was a missionary and asked if we could bless him and pray for him. He was more than happy for such a request. Then I turned to my brother and said, “Okay, you pray.” He said, “No way! I’ll translate for you.” I said, “No, you pray, not me.” He said, “No, you pray.” This went on for a little while until he finally understood this was his mission, not mine.
Let me tell you, I’ve never been more proud of him.
He prayed with such passion and sincerity, I think the man received every blessing under heaven from this boy! Afterwards, my brother was excited and so happy he did it. A week later, he prayed again for our Über driver on our way to his youth group.
He saw how easy it was to pray and that God could use him, that God WANTED to use him, and he wasn’t the same after that night. He promised me before I left that he was going to continue to pray for Über drivers. Isn’t that awesome?
The mission never ends.
I was reminded of this on my way home from Brazil.
I sat next to this woman on my flight home. I was minding my business, reading my little bible when I heard her speak to the flight attendant and I could tell she did not speak much English. The old Katya would not have spoken to her, seeing as we probably wouldn’t have much to talk about, but from experience of being a foreigner in Brazil, I have learned that it is such a great feeling when people approach you, even knowing you are not fluent in their language.
I asked her where she was from – she was from Japan. I spoke slowly, used simple words and waited when she needed to think to form her next sentence. Basically, we had a conversation for most of the flight. My little pocket bible was still with me and she saw it and thought it was cute. Then suddenly, I had this feeling again from God and I knew I was supposed to give her my bible.
I was hoping to pray for her as well – this is when I went into “self”. She didn’t understand the question when I asked if I could pray for her. She was really confused. Of course, God knew that. That’s why He told me to give her the bible, not pray. Forgive me, God!
We were just about to land, when I gave her my bible and some chocolate from Brazil (because I felt God tell me to give these to her as well). She was so shocked. She knew this Bible was special to me and she refused at first, but I insisted, then she received it with gratitude. She told me she was so happy to have met me, thanked me for speaking to her and for the gifts. My prayer was that she would feel loved and hey, if it means giving up by bible then so be it.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:16-17
God is the best teacher on the subject of Love. He knows what people need, what they value, and who they are on the inside. In every instance, I had no way to know what would be best, but God did. It never fails that when we follow His voice, He leads us to love. Even for those of us who are shy, He gives us a special boldness in that hour!
Friends, keep your eyes open for opportunities, your ears open to His voice and your hearts full of God’s love and when you ask, you will receive. Keep your love on!
Till the next adventure,
Katya
1 Corinthians 13 – The Greatest Of These Is Love
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
