How does one acquire such an amazing attribute? I have thought of this many times. How can I be more charitable?
Studying the life of the one who possess this attribute perfectly would be a good start.
I think for me praying for charity has been my avenue.
I have been trying to be more loving toward other people. I hope that I am actually getting better at it. I'm not sure sometimes...
I have been very wrapped up in my own head the last little while. My mind won't let go of all the sadness that is circling around it. I want to be more helpful to Heavenly Father...to be able to follow the spirit when I am prompted to reach out to someone else. I know I have missed opportunities...I just hope I'm not still missing them.
Christian is my daily example of charity. He loves so freely and easily. When we were dating we had just left a Greek restaurant and I had a soup container in hand. I had planned to eat it later, but was much too full to finish then.
As we walked we saw a little elderly woman. Her clothes were worn and she had smudges on her wrinkled cheeks. All of her earthly belongings were inside a cart she was toting with her.
Lovingly Christian took my soup over to her and offered it. She smiled warmly at him and thanked him. As we continued on our way Christian stopped and looked over at me horrified.
"I'm sorry, I didn't ask you first."
I smiled and replied, "No big deal."
Inside my heart burned. I could not believe how sweet he was. Most people would not even have noticed the sweet woman trudging along with her cart...but Christian did. My heart swelled with joy that I had found someone that made me want to be better. He loved everyone.
Several different occurrences such as this created a bond and love for him that I never wanted to break. He was everything I wanted and had hoped for since I was a child.
Little did Christian know what a little bowl of soup would do for my life. It has stuck with me. The small act of kindness was not earth stopping, but it reminded me that I needed to notice people. He is like a radiating sun that warms people as he goes about his day. My children and I feel that warmth when he enters the home. When he is gone...a lot of gloomy weather.
I read in 1 Corinthians lately these verses in chapter 13...Paul shares his feelings about charity...
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
"The greatest of these is charity." How true.
What would have motivated the ultimate act of selflessness...the Atonement and then the Crucifixion?...only pure love...charity. To love purely isn't a small thing. To love without condition...without any thought of oneself...that is something to strive to be.
I have so far to go, but I know as I try each day to be charitable that I may get a tiny inch closer to understanding the pure love of Christ.
