This morning I was instructed, in how to give with love, by a homeless man. Once again I'll call this man "Manuel."
Today Manuel sat before me at a table. I sat on a chair listening to him.
He shared with me how he knows homeless people who do not have a lot, but they share the little they have. They have little, yet they give what they have. When you have a little, and yet you give, you have the potential to give with much love.
Such people die to themselves so they can live for their neighbor. If you are willing to die to your own desires, you can give the little you have, and thus love your neighbor as yourself,* as Jesus taught us to do.
Dead to your desires, you can give yourself away. Having emptied yourself, you have invited God to fill you with His love.** If you are filled with the love of God, you can give yourself completely to your neighbor. When you totally open your heart to God, God can love your neighbor through you.
If you love God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength,*** you completely trust God. Totally loving God, you are open to how God wants to love your neighbor through you. Completely loving God, you invite God to fill you with His love, so you can love your neighbor as God loves us.****
Filled with the love of God, you can give much. Although you have little, you can give much.
* Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
** Romans 5:5
*** Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 10:12; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27
**** John 13:34
Today Manuel sat before me at a table. I sat on a chair listening to him.
He shared with me how he knows homeless people who do not have a lot, but they share the little they have. They have little, yet they give what they have. When you have a little, and yet you give, you have the potential to give with much love.
Such people die to themselves so they can live for their neighbor. If you are willing to die to your own desires, you can give the little you have, and thus love your neighbor as yourself,* as Jesus taught us to do.
Dead to your desires, you can give yourself away. Having emptied yourself, you have invited God to fill you with His love.** If you are filled with the love of God, you can give yourself completely to your neighbor. When you totally open your heart to God, God can love your neighbor through you.
If you love God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength,*** you completely trust God. Totally loving God, you are open to how God wants to love your neighbor through you. Completely loving God, you invite God to fill you with His love, so you can love your neighbor as God loves us.****
Filled with the love of God, you can give much. Although you have little, you can give much.
* Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
** Romans 5:5
*** Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 10:12; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27
**** John 13:34
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