Giving and Receiving

One night during the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale was walking through a hospital ward. She paused and bent over to help a seriously wounded soldier. As she tended his wounds, the soldier looked up and said, “You are Christ to me.”

Have you ever had an experience like that; when someone helped you in a time of need; when it was almost as if the hand of Christ himself was extended to you?

Whether it was a phone call at the right time, a home-cooked meal, an electric bill paid, groceries on the doorstep, a kind note, a hug, a listening ear, or a visit in a moment of need, Christ is there. And whether you are the one giving or receiving, in those moments, his love, mercy, and grace are real – even tangible.

Let us pray: Holy Spirit, Giver of hope and renewal, Your love flows from person to person, your mercy from hand to hand, your grace from life to life. Thank you for your presence poured out on us as we take our place in this eternal pattern of giving and receiving. Help us never to be too proud to receive, or too calloused to give. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.