JOYFUL WORDS
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri

Love In Motion

4/30/2018

10 Comments

 
Children let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.  1John 3:18

I love watching parents in action.  I especially love it when a mom or dad can immediately halt a  behavior with just a look.  You know; “the look”.  No words needed, just “the look”.  I find it really amazing when that look comes from a tiny, gentle, sweet little mom.  I observed a tiny, mighty, master mom at work in the airport Friday afternoon and I’m tellin you what, as I got caught in the cross hairs of her gaze, I felt a chill and I sat up straight myself!  As fierce as that look was, it was done out of love for her squabbling boys and it was so much better than ugly words or threats. I can only imagine what this world could become if we all took a cue from this line in St. Johns letter and focused on our deeds more than our words.

The first few words of this verse give us a mission; LOVE.  Love is so much more than sappy, kissey-face, goey stuff.  Hollywood gets it wrong, social media gets it wrong, television gets it wrong so it’s no wonder we’re all a little fuzzy when it comes to figuring out what love really looks like!  The kind of love St. John was writing about is the real deal kind of love.  Love is mercy and mercy means forgiveness and forgiveness means choosing the Father’s way.  Love allows us to see people as their Creator sees them and when we look through his lens, love becomes giving and not taking.  Love is not a suggestion, it’s necessary to make earthly life meaningful and eternal life possible.

I don’t know about you, but I could seriously pray on this verse for weeks and probably still not get it right.  We are told by the world to find our voice and use our words, but it seems like it’s all becoming a giant screaming match with everybody trying to out-talk the next guy.  It’s also a little tricky to navigate through all the words and messages and pick out the truth.  Words can be twisted and misinterpreted but actions are concrete and powerful.  When we think about the loving things we can do for others, it’s important to think small.  Most of us will not be called to build a hospital, start an orphanage or open a school to serve forgotten children.  We are simply being asked to do simple things with great love.  

Yesterday I sat in a huge, old, gorgeous cathedral and I was captivated by the beauty, but I was more deeply touched watching the people and the way I saw this verse come to life.  I got to watch the woman in front of me reach over to touch the shoulder of a hurting friend.  No words were spoken, just a simple touch and a look that was steeped in compassion.  As I was gazing at the stories being told in the stunning stained glass windows, I was distracted by a man who used his neck tie to play peek-a-boo with a restless toddler in front of him whose mom was trying desperately to hold on to his wiggly body.  As I listened to the Bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City deliver a powerful homily, my gaze shifted to the usher as he welcomed a disheveled and frazzled looking little old woman and took her fail arm and escorted her to a seat.  She wore years of worry on her brow but as that usher put out his arm and led her to an empty seat you could see the look of gratefulness and peace on her face as she settled in to listen.  As I left the Cathedral, I noticed the little house next door that served sandwiches to the city’s homeless every day. God gave me a line from scripture during mass and then illustrated it for me in living color.  I love it when he makes it so easy to see!

Maybe today is a good day to just be quiet and do something.  Loving deeds speak louder than words…let’s get busy!​

A Seed To Plant: Spend a couple days praying with this verse and ask God to put people in your path who need a little action packed quiet love!
Blessing on your day!






10 Comments
Marguerite O'Connor
4/30/2018 06:02:47 am

Thank you for coming and sharing your joy with us! I am so glad you enjoyed your visit to our city and our Cathedral. Simple things like feeding the homeless is who we are. People here are very generous in giving and in working together to obtain results. They are taught to see a simple need and gather people to complete what needs to be done.

Reply
Carol Bergstrom
4/30/2018 12:28:17 pm

We loved having you in SLC. Your words and actions were full of joy. Come back soon.

Reply
Annette
4/30/2018 12:53:39 pm

Awesome writing again

Reply
Sue Cook
4/30/2018 01:04:34 pm

Thank you for sharing your time and yourself with us at the DCCW Conference in Salt Lake City. You are very inspiring and I am glad to have this link as well as your prayer list e-mail. Both of these are very nice resources that I plan to use often and share with friends an family. Keep up this service that you are doing, God has you exactly in the right vocation.

Reply
Kim Matus
4/30/2018 02:01:15 pm

Your message is incredibly moving and very powerful. Thank you for spreading the word at our DCCW convention in SLC and I will definitely be following along on your blog.

Reply
Cherri Delgado
4/30/2018 04:28:42 pm

I thank you from my heart to coming to Salt Lake. I, along with over 300 women, cried and laughed and absorbed everything you had to share with us. Such a blessing you were!

Reply
Mary Klug
4/30/2018 11:41:36 pm

THANKS SHERI FOR YOUR INSPIRATIONAL TALKS, YOU TRULY ARE DOING THE LORDS WORK.... UPLIFTING HEART, MIND, AND SOUL.

Reply
Marcie Downs link
5/1/2018 12:17:06 am

THANK YOU Sheri for spirituality enlightening and entertaining us with your presentations at the DCCW convention. I think you would be happy to know that our Southwestern Deanery President asked us all to make sure our "crowns" were adjusted before we started on Sunday. Everyone new exactly what to do!

Reply
Karen Jones
5/1/2018 10:44:09 am

Thank you for sharing your divinely inspired message with us in SLC. My first DCCW was a beautiful experience. Thank you.

Reply
Ranae Lupus
5/1/2018 05:05:59 pm

Sheri,
I just wanted to share with you the comfort you brought to my sister. Her husband past away last July and she's been having really a hard time. I invited her to come with me this weekend her first time at DCCW Convention. She was really moved by your words. She came way with knowing that God is with her and wants her to be happy and joyful. Her eyes and heart have been opened to anew faith in God, my sister is LDS. Thank you for the love you showed to all of us women through your powerful words. You truly are doing Gods work!!






moved by your words

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Joyful Words magnet picture

    ​Click on the items below to expand the options available to you to explore the Joyful Words blog.

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Thessalonians
    2 Corinthians
    Acts Of Love
    Advent
    Ageing
    All In
    Amazing
    Anxiety
    Armor Of God
    Asking For Help
    Bad Habits
    Balance
    Baptism
    Be
    Beauty
    Being Gracious
    Blessed Mother Teresa Of Calcutta
    Blessing
    Blessings
    Brokenness
    Carry Our Cross
    Catholic Education
    Change
    Changes
    Cheerfulness
    Children
    Choices
    Christian Belief
    Christmas
    Colossians
    Commitment
    Comparisons
    Compassion
    Consistent
    Content
    Contentment
    Courage
    Crosses
    Crumbs
    Dad
    Daughters Of God
    Delight
    Desire
    Desire God
    Details
    Dicipleship
    Die To Self
    Discipleship
    Dissapointment
    Dying To Self
    Easter
    Ecclesiastes
    Education
    Election
    Encouragement
    Enemy
    Ephesians
    Evangelization
    Exodus
    Expectations
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Falling Short
    Family
    Fathers Love
    Fear
    Flag
    Footstool
    Forgiveness
    Fresh Start
    Friendship
    Fr. Mike
    Fr. Mike Schmitz
    Galatians
    Generosity
    God In Everyday Things
    God In Scripture
    Gods Beloved
    God's Enough
    God's Forgiveness
    Gods Gifts
    God's Guidance
    God's Love
    Gods Love
    God's Plan
    Gods P Lan
    God's Restoration
    Gods Strength
    God's Timing
    Gods Timing
    Gods Ways
    God's Will
    Gods Will
    Goodness
    Good News
    Grace
    Grandma
    Grandpa
    Gratefulness
    Gratitude
    Greatness
    Gretness
    Grief
    Happiness
    Healing
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hebrews
    He Chose Me
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Thrusday
    Holy Thursday
    Holy Week
    Hope
    Humble
    Humility
    Identity In Christ
    Intimacy
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    John
    Joshua
    Joy
    Judgement
    Justice
    Kids
    Kindne
    Kindness
    Labor
    Laughter
    Lent
    Lessons
    Light
    Listening
    Little
    Love
    Lovelies
    Luke
    Mark
    Marriage
    Mary
    Matthew
    Meekness
    Mercy
    Mom
    Mornings
    Mud
    Obedience
    Openness
    Parenting
    Parentng
    Patience
    Peace
    Pentacost
    People
    Perseverance
    Perspeceive
    Perspective
    Philippians
    Pioneers
    Pleasing God
    Poor
    Porch
    Positive
    Possibilities
    Pray
    Prayer
    Priorities
    Promises
    Proverbs
    Psalm
    Relationship
    Religion
    Respect
    Romans
    Sacrifice
    Sacrifices
    Sainthood
    Saints
    Samuel
    Scripture
    Seeking God
    Service
    Serving God
    Signs
    Silence
    Simple
    Sin
    Sinfulness
    Slow Down
    Small Stuff
    Steve Ray
    Stillness
    St. Mary's 4th Of July
    Strength
    Stress
    Suffering
    Surprises
    Surrender
    Temptation
    Thanks
    The Right Thing
    Time
    Troubled Times
    Trust
    Trust In God
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unravelled
    Valentines
    Waiting
    Weddings
    Word Of The Year
    Words
    Works Of Mercy
    Worry


    ​Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012


    Back to Home

    RSS Feed


      HOME                        BLOG                       SPEAKING                        WRITING                        HOSPITALITY                        MEET SHERI  

CONTACT: 989.640.6673
Picture
EMAIL

FACEBOOK

Twitter

Content is the intellectual property of Sheri Wohlfert 2017
Created by dhengesbach
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri