“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Matthew 22:37-39

It is difficult to practice one of these commandments without the other. I was reminded of this when my cousin, Karen, emailed me about Maria. Karen, her husband Jeff, and their four children were missionaries in Guatemala among the Pokomchi people. Karen had asked me to pray for Maria a few years ago. At that time it was thought by the locals that Maria was possessed by a demon, as she exhibited very strange behavior. However, the last time Karen had seen her, she was clean and calm.

Maria and her family had been relocated as a result of a landslide in their village, so Karen and her family had no contact with them. That had changed, though, and Karen wrote:

Every time I drive by that area, I see her. She is wearing torn clothes, and her hair is all matted. She runs everywhere. She seems kind of like a bag lady as she collects things and uses her skirt like a bag to carry them in. It is usually just sticks and leaves, but she always seems to be in a hurry to take these things home.

Recently, I was driving and saw her sitting out by the highway. No one else was around, so I stopped my car about 20 feet from her and started to get out very slowly. I gently said, ‘Hi Maria. Do you remember me?’ She jumped up and ran across the street. ‘Maria, don’t be afraid. I am your friend.’ As she started to run away, she stopped and looked back at me, still scared, but listening. ‘Jesus loves you, Maria. He has not forgotten you. He cares about you. Look for Him!’ She made eye contact with me before she ran away.

She was like a scared hurt animal! Please pray that my words of truth entered her heart. I don’t know what God expects of her, but I do know that He is able to communicate to her what He wants her to know, either through dreams or contact with someone.

Even though we aren’t missionaries in the hills of Guatemala, you and I know there are plenty of scared, hurt, needy people around us. They may be in the office where we work, in the carpool line, or sitting beside us on the church pew. They may look just like us. God wants us to show our love for Him by loving those around us. Maybe you can just stop and talk to them. Such a simple act can show them that God has not forgotten them and that He cares about them.

Ask God who He wants you to notice, talk to, and/or pray for this week. It can make a difference.

One day I was lamenting to my friend, Jenny, that someone I thought was my friend had done something that hurt me. It was a terrible feeling, and I was having difficulty letting it go. As I talked about the situation and my feelings of having been betrayed, Jenny told me about “the pink dress.”

Jenny’s young daughter, Laura, had been asked to loan her special pink “princess” dress to a friend so she could wear it to a birthday party. This was Laura’s treasured dress, but Jenny wanted to teach her about sharing and being helpful, so they loaned the dress — on a hanger — crisp, fluffy, and clean.

Laura was anxious to get the dress back, so a few days after the party, Jenny called to request that it be returned. Several days later, the dress was dropped off — in a bag — on their front porch. It was soiled, dirty, torn, and even had tire tracks on it! The friend never apologized. She never offered to get it cleaned, repaired, or replaced. Jenny and Laura were left holding a dirty, wadded-up, torn dress.

I saw Jenny and that friend out shopping one day and was surprised. When I saw her later, I asked how she could continue the friendship after what her friend had done, especially since she had never apologized.

Jenny said she had been very upset at first but then she realized she sins against her friends, too. Since she cherished the friendship, she forgave her. She also pointed out that when she sins against God, He forgives her. Now when I feel someone has treated me badly, I think about “the pink dress.” It helps me put the incident in perspective.

Can you remember a time when you felt someone left you dirty, wadded-up and torn with heartache? Most of us can recall a situation when we felt someone did us wrong. And if we really think about it, we can probably recall times when we were the one who mistreated someone.

Is there someone God wants you to forgive? Is there someone you need to talk to about forgiving you?

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

I was puttering around the house one day as our boys, age four and five, played in the front yard. I looked out the window now and then to be sure they were ok. They usually played well together.

Suddenly, I heard screaming coming from the front yard! As I opened the door, I saw Colin dragging Christopher, who was screaming, through the yard.

“Colin! What are you doing?” I yelled.

He replied, “We’re playing Jesus and he won’t get in the tomb!”

Every Easter I remember this scene and think about this — what if Jesus decided at the last minute he wouldn’t die on the cross? If he hadn’t died and then risen from the dead, proving his power over death, where would we be?

I thank God for sending a willing Jesus who loved us so much that he went through with the terrible torture he endured for us. He wants us to live with him forever!

“We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and he will never die again. Death no longer has power over him.” (Romans 6:9)