Sacrificial Love

A word of thanks is extended to all who so graciously support the Dial Hope ministry. Hope happens because of you.

I learned recently that the renowned scientist Louis Pasteur was frightened of dogs. Even a distant bark would terrify him. In his mind, he could still see a mad wolf that raged through his boyhood village killing many of his neighbors. “I have always been haunted by the cries of those victims,” he said time and again. Yet in 1882, past the age of 60, Pasteur gave up all his other studies in an intense search for a cure for rabies.

For three long years, despite his deep-seated fears, he risked his life living with mad dogs. Eventually, he discovered a vaccine, and on a July night in 1885, he tried the first injection on a small boy whose life was in grave danger. The boy lived. 

For the benefit of others, Louis Pasteur faced his deepest fears to find a cure for a horrible disease. This story is beautiful and compelling.

Today, I am grateful for all of those who have sacrificed their self-interest, safety, and even lives for the good of others. No doubt they are a blessing. May they also be an inspiration.

Let us pray: Almighty and loving God, when we remember the sacrifice of your Son Jesus on the cross, we are humbled. When we see the sacrifice of others it resonates deeply, and we are both inspired and grateful. We thank you for all those who give selflessly for the sake of others. Especially we thank you for women and men in the military and their families, firefighters, police officers, peacekeepers, aide workers, missionaries, and health care workers. We lift them up to you, asking for your blessing and protection. May their generosity ever be an inspiration to us. Amen.