1 Corinthians 13:13 – And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (KJV)

For years now, I have been collecting miniature plates made by Limoge with the theme "love story". These miniatures are expensive for their size but are a great investment for me. A few years ago, I decided to take them in and have them framed so that they would be together and would be a bigger ticket item if I decided to sell them, or as a set together to pass on when I leave this world. They had to be framed in a couple of different sets.

I received a phone call informing me that the smaller set was framed and ready to be picked up. When I arrived at the store, I could tell, by the lady's manner, that something was wrong. The owner informed me that her husband, who does the framing, had dropped one of the plates for the larger set. Naturally, the little thing broke. I was told that he was running around town frantically trying to replace this plate.

I started to laugh, and I continued to laugh off and on most of the day. These folks were expecting me to cry and get upset, and I laughed. While I was standing there laughing, he returned. As he walked through the door, my heart went out to him, and I put out my arms and said, "Do you need a hug?" I cannot explain my reaction, except that I knew how awful these folks felt, and I also knew that they would not be able to replace this plate.

I did not know that he was very ill at the time and would die within the year. I believe that there are times in our lives when we have the opportunity to let our Christian faith and the love that Christ places in our hearts shine through situations that we are not in charge of. This, I believe, was one. I thank God for that broken little plate, with the love story theme etched upon it.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to step out of our comfort zones and listen to Your Spirit when You ask us to do something we are uncomfortable doing. Thank You, Jesus, for the opportunities which You place in our lives each day to touch others with Your love. Amen.

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About the author:

Marilyn Allanson <nk-wm@shaw.ca>
Kenora, Ontario, Canada
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