Affection

Affection

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

MY OLDEST DAUGHTER was born six weeks early. At just over five pounds, her tiny body needed a little extra time in the hospital. For three weeks after her birth, I quickly got into the routine of visiting her each day in the NICU, going home to sleep, then returning the next day.

As a new mom, those three weeks felt like three years. Though the staffers were kind, I chafed at the lack of privacy. Monitors beeped constantly, and curtains were all that separated one Isolette from the next. But as days turned into weeks, the close confines meant increasing familiarity with the rhythms of the unit—who was able to go home, who would remain after we left, which families were there frequently and which ones weren’t able to visit as often.

One bright spot was an older woman who was often present. A faithful volunteer who had been there for years, she would hum and soothe and hold the tiny infants for hours. The nurses referred to her as “Grandma,” and I’d often find myself smiling or saying hello to her open, kind face. In the absence of a parent, Grandma Jeanne was a soothing hand and a comforting touch to the infants she snuggled each day. To an outsider looking in, the love and affection she displayed made her appear more like a family member than a volunteer.

Even though the newborns were, in effect, strangers to Grandma Jeanne, her affection and delight in caring for them was evident in every move she made. As Christians, we’re also called to love those around us—our neighbors, our friends, even our enemies—with genuine affection. To me, that means caring for others the same way we would our own family. That’s because, in Christ, we are one family. In fact, the Greek origin for the word “affection” in Romans 12:10 is philadelphia, meaning “brotherly love,” from the word philadelphos (“fraternal affection”). As children of God, we have the distinct privilege of showing affection and care for others in the same way Grandma Jeanne did, freely and openly.

Lord, thank you that we are part of your family. Help us to do our part to love others well by showing true delight and affection for one another. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: How can you demonstrate your love for someone else through your words or actions?