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I like this phrase! I just did a quick search and was surprised to see there aren't thousands of webpages using it to sell t-shirts and bumper stickers, or to make us feel guilty and inadequate.
I found two references: the first in a description of bees "doing love's errands" as they visit from blossom to blossom satisfying both their own needs as well as those of the plants in Life Lore: A Magazine of Biology - Volume 1 on page 271 (via Google Books).
Life Lore: A Magazine of Biology
The second was this quote from The Hutchinson Gazette of Hutchinson, Kansas in the Sunday, August 6, 1911 issue on page 4: "Oh, the glory of rising above self and living for others, and suffering at their hands for the service rendered them! The beauty of serving transcends all loveliness, for no one can appear ugly while doing love's errands to men but the plainest soul becomes transformed into an angel of light, breathing the perfume of Paradise." I couldn't tell from the poor quality of the OCRed text who the author was nor what the context is.
I had never before heard it used, but when it came to my mind it seemed a perfect description for what is happening here today. Our grandsons who live with us (both in their 20's) were out this afternoon doing a task that neither of them enjoyed or wanted to do: help their other grandmother move her household goods from the old house to the new apartment. My daughter drove the truck and helped with the lighter things while they loaded and unloaded the furniture and appliances. They all would have preferred to be engaged in more leisurely pursuits of their own choosing.
My wife, knowing they would be tired and hungry when they finished, had earlier offered to provide them dinner but she was not feeling well enough to cook nor to go out. I was not feeling well either but am quite able to go and do still; I do not feel worse afterward than if I had been resting at her side in my rocking chair. I went down to the deli counter at the supermarket to find something suitable for the occasion; out of love for her I could handle that brief errand. Likewise, my daughter and grandsons had no desire to lug things hither and yon all afternoon but accepted the duties imposed by the bonds of love and got the tasks finished. They too were doing love's errands.
There was nothing heroic or necessarily praiseworthy in any of this, we were each doing what love prompted us to. Was it nothing more than what is required by societal expectation? Were we simply (and perhaps reluctantly) completing the duties expected of us? Perhaps; but as I have learned what love is I have learned to see love in action around me. When Jesus comes may I be found doing love's errands to fulfil the duties imposed by the bonds of love, while never forgetting who is my neighbor and never failing to identify my enemies and serve them as well.
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Now as I write this I realize that it belongs on my "What Is Love?" page, and that it illustrates very nicely the FILTHY mind* that I advocated during last week's bible study. And of course, it fits perfectly with this week's Bible study, where we'll be asking "How can you tell if someone loves you?" and discovering the answer together: by what they do!
* As in "I'd like be sitting in my rocking chair and drinking tea right now, but... "
First | F I L T H Y I'd | i ' i o e o Like | r d k l u To | s e p Help | t You |
This arose from our discussion of Philippians 2:4-5 -- Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
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