The Messiah's Love Makes Us Press On

The Messiah’s Love Makes Us Press On
2 CORINTHIANS 5.11-15

‘What on earth made you do that?’

The newspaper reporter was incredulous. A young woman had just won a competition. The first prize was a three-week trip around the world. The chance of a lifetime. And she had given it up in order to stay with a friend as she went into hospital to face a crucial, and terrifying, operation.

‘I mean,’ went on the reporter, ‘surely she’d have understood? There must have been other people who could have been with her?’

The young woman remained silent, pursing her lips. Eventually, seeing she wasn’t going to get away with saying nothing, she burst out,

‘All right. You really want to know. You think I’m crazy. But what none of you know – and I wasn’t going to tell you – is what she did for me three years ago. I was on drugs and I couldn’t stop. It got worse and worse. My family threw me out. She was the only person who looked after me. She sat up all night, again and again, and talked me through it. She mopped me down when I threw up, she changed my clothes, she took me to the hospital, she talked to the doctors, she made sure I was coming through it. She helped me with the court case. She even helped me get a job. She – she – she loved me! So did I have any choice? Now that she’s sick herself, it’s the least thing I can do to stay with her. That’s far less than she did for me.’...