Love

Yesterday I received a phone call from a long lost friend. Actually this woman is old enough to be my mom, and for 4 yrs. while we lived in San Antonio she was like a 2nd mom to me. She was an incredible mentor to me. I led a young mother's bible study ,"The Power of a Praying Parent", and I ask her to come to be the mentor mom. She has an incredible way of speaking the truth with an incredible amount of love. She really lives out the fruits of the spirit in her life. I've never seen her be reactionary or harsh with anyone. She is gentle, meek, humble, honest, kind, thoughtful, and above all else loving. I didn't realize how much I missed her until I talked to her again. I miss her kindness, her words of affirmation, and her sensitivity. She is an example to me of the verse in the bible that says you can do a lot of good things but if you don't have charity (love) you are like clanging cymbal. The message says your like creaking of a rusty gate if you try to do good things without love. So what do you feel when you hear a creaking gate or door? How about a clanging cymbal? When my kids get those party favor noise makers, like clanging cymbals, they quickly disappear when the kids aren't looking. Why? because it's annoying. It's noise to me that's not communicating anything of value. 1st Corinthians 13 (the love chapter)
says this in the message: You can speak with human eloquence, you can speak God's word with power and reveal all his mysteries , you can give everything you own to the poor, you can even die as a martyr, but if you don't love you have gotten no where. So, no matter what you say, believe, or do you are bankrupt without love.
If you don't love people you are ineffective and all your hard work is vain. I don't really remember any of the great advice that my mentor mom gave me years ago, but I do remember that she cared about me and that she loved me.