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"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
Sometimes it only takes a moment for God to remind us of what life is all about. I was driving to a local blood drive at a church the other day. It had been a long week. Bad news had followed bad news all week long. By blood drive day I was feeling emotionally exhausted and despite all of my efforts I couldn’t seem to lift my spirits. I only hoped to donate blood as quickly as possible, go home, and get some rest.
I arrived early and was the first one in. In time, though, the room filled up. While I was laying down watching the blood drip from my arm into the bag below I looked around and saw that 3 other people were already donating too. There was a young woman in her early twenties, a man in his late thirties, fifty seven year old me, and a man about twenty years older than I was. Over at the tables where we were supposed to go for a snack after we donated I heard a crying sound. It was the baby girl of one of the volunteers. I glanced at all of this, took it in, and smiled. We had every age of life there in that church basement all together.
It was in that moment that God spoke to me in the quietness of my soul. “This is why you are all here on Earth. You are here to Love each other, to help each other, to give to each other, and to grow more and more like Your Heavenly Father each and every day.”
I looked around again and realized just how wonderful this life here is. When we Love, each day here is filled with joy. When we help and give to each other, each day here becomes a blessing. I looked at the baby girl being bounced in her Mother’s arms and realized that one day she too would be a 70 year old donating blood to save another’s life. In that moment I saw that the circle of Life here is truly a circle of Love. And I saw too that it doesn’t end here on Earth but continues on with us all into eternity.
"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:10 NIV)
Joseph J. Mazzella
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