::: In Exile :::

Valentine’s Day, a day when many of us take the time to tangibly express our affection or love for others. Often with very expensive flowers, chocolate, jewelry, stuffed bears and on and on. I admit it; I’ve spent my fair share of money on flowers and stuff over the years.

For the record I’m single and still trying to figure out what love is and is not. I’m reminded often of the love of Christ but really that is so far removed from the western idea of love that I have a hard time grasping it at times. He gave his life for us out of love? That’s not a love you see everyday. A self-emptying, self-sacrificing love that gives completely even up to giving up his life.

We’re called to be like Christ and many of us try in our own ways but for the most part we’re caught up in our own lives. I’ll be the first one to admit that I am guilty as charged.

So I have tried and am trying to show my love more, not just on Valentine’s Day or to my friends and family but those that need it most, people that I encounter through the day at gas stations, restaurants and even those I will probably not encounter ever but can still affect in some way.

So here’s my challenge to you — SHOW YOUR LOVE

To your friends, family, people you meet throughout the day, the poor, the downtrodden, the least of these because how else will we ever understand the love of Christ if we do not try to love like He loved.

Here’s the basic rundown. For the cost of two coffees/mochas a month you can:

• Give 9 orphans 3 meals in a day, or
• Pay for 21 orphans’ housing for 1 day, or
• Keep a child in school for 3 months, or
• Give 7 Africans clean water for a year, or
• Provide one month’s worth of life-saving drugs to someone living with AIDS.

Pretty amazing, huh? $7 dollars is generally chump change for most of us but it can do so much for people in desperate need. Yeah it’s small a thing but definitely not small to people whose lives you may just be saving and impacting forever.

Here are some options for you

Join my Mocha Club team http://www.mochaclub.org/join/203

Read more about Mocha Club at www.mochaclub.org