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"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.' Be hospitable to one another without grumbling."
(1 Peter 4:8-9)
A couple of years ago, NBC's Today Show featured a number of feel-good stories.
A husband and wife had worked at their doughnut shop for 30 years. They always started early at 4:00 a.m. and went until noon, but one day, she had a brain aneurysm, which created major difficulties for them. So, their customers came to their aid and decided to buy all the doughnuts by 8:00 a.m. so that the husband could be with his wife and care for her.
A public-school teacher in Florida developed colon cancer and needed to miss many days due to his illness. He ran out of time off and made a plea on Facebook for help. The response was amazing. Many school teachers throughout the state responded by donating some of their days off to him. In just three days, fellow educators gave him 75 days off so he could recover and take the semester off.
A nurse in California was reunited with one of her patients from 30 years ago. She works with premature babies, and her patient weighed less than three pounds when they first met. That same little baby grew up and now works as a medical resident with the same nurse who cared for him those many years ago. When Hoda Kotb on the Today Show heard this story, she called it a "God wink".
One more cool story: this one happened last year in 2020. World War II veteran Tom Moore walked laps around his garden in an effort to raise money for coronavirus health-care workers in the UK. The total amount raised was staggering: over $50 million! He also received 125,000 birthday cards for his 100th birthday.
(Source.)
Stories like these are refreshing, especially in our very divided country where most of the news we hear is very polarizing and negative.
The Apostle Peter gives two clear words of command for the follower of Jesus. He tells us to love one another fervently and also to be hospitable. How are we to love fervently and be hospitable without grumbling? The key, I believe, is to think less of ourselves and more of others. Jesus is the best example of one who loved and served others. We read of Him throughout the Gospels, of how He constantly helped, served, healed, and did whatever the Father led Him to do. John 5:19 states, "Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.'"
May we seek to love fervently and show hospitality to others today. Let us create some feel-good stories that bless and motivate others.
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