Advent Devotional by Drew Kingery

1 John 4:7-21

My beloved friends, let us continue to show love to each other since love comes from God. (1 John 4: 7)

I remember my grandmother sitting down with me at her dinner table when I was about five maybe six years old. She had a bowl of homegrown tomatoes and was peeling them and feeding them to me as fast as I could eat them. I remember the love and time she took to do it in this act. She got nothing back in return other than my smiling face. It was also spoiling me but that is another story. She showed me love that required nothing back in turn.

We recently went on a spiritual pilgrimage with a group from church to the Amana colonies in Iowa. It was a wonderful weekend. On Sunday we went to the Amana church for Sunday service. They welcomed us with open arms and were genuinely excited to have us as guests. They gave us an information pamphlet about their church and their mission. The verse on the outside of the pamphlet was 1 John 4:7. “My beloved friends let us continue to show love to each other since love comes from God.”

I think that the Christmas Store that Karri George oversees is another example of us showing love to people in our community of Liberty. I feel like I get more out of volunteering to help than perhaps the people picking toys and gifts out for their children.

When we show love to others, we experience a deeper relationship with God. During this advent season remember God sent his only Son so we could live through him. It is the ultimate sign of love, to provide a way for us to have a loving relationship with God. So, remember let us show love to one another. Not only to the ones we know but those who we don’t know and perceive as more different than we are.

Drew Kingery