One day during the pandemic, I returned home from a long round of errands and opened my mailbox, expecting to find the usual junk mail and bills. Instead, I was surprised to see a vase containing lovely miniature daisies, along with a beautifully written note from a friend. It was a season of upheaval, with several major-milestone events, plus my kids and parents moving. Managing all this amid pandemic restrictions had made life chaotic, and I felt overloaded. But my friend's unexpected gift of kindness instantly lightened my spirits. It wasn't just the exquisite flowers that encouraged me, but also the lovely message that she wrote. She reminded me that God saw me and was with me during a time of significant change.

Placing the vase by the kitchen window, I recalled another time, over a decade earlier, when acts of love and thoughtfulness helped carry me through an even more difficult season that lasted several years. When my three boys were young, my sister was diagnosed with ALS, and our world flipped upside down almost overnight. The physical and emotional toll was high for everyone involved. On top of tremendous and persistent sadness, the practical needs and tasks were overwhelming.

Throughout those long years, I came to appreciate the value of encouragement more than ever before. The loving and supportive words and selfless actions of others became visible signs of God's presence and provision for my family and me. Many times, when I was unable to seek spiritual refreshment on my own, it was gifted to me.

During one particularly rough patch, I returned from a long day at my sister's home, over an hour away, barely making it back in time to get the boys from school. We had raced out that morning, so I knew the breakfast dishes would still be piled in the sink, and the laundry would still be waiting. And as soon as the boys finished homework, it would be time to start dinner.

Entering the house, I drew in a deep breath, trying to conjure up fortitude for the evening ahead. But as I opened the door, I was startled to notice that things were out of place. Confused, I saw our large chalkboard propped up with a message written on it. As I read the words on the board, I realized that my long-time Bible study group had coordinated with my husband to access our very messy home in my absence. While I was taking care of my sister and my husband was putting in another long day at work, they had not only cleaned the entire house but had also prepared a delicious stew that was simmering fragrantly on the cooktop. They even left flowers on the kitchen counter.

I burst into tears. Even as my prideful mind wondered what my friends thought of the house’s condition, I felt joy as a result of what they had done. Despite their own very full lives, they had stepped into my shoes for a whole day to ease my burden. The house sparkled, the food somehow tasted like more than food, and the flowers seemed to smile at me. Suddenly, I had a glimpse of how Martha and Mary might have felt when Jesus showed up at their house because it felt like He had been to mine.

The most potent acts and words of encouragement spring from the well of love found in Christ. And the most satisfying and soul-quenching examples of love, big and small, also point back to Him. The flowers in my mailbox and the house-cleaning surprise were perfect examples of this. Sending Christ-like love means moving from the busy lane of one's own life to enter the path of another, just as Jesus did when God sent Him to earth. It's a selfless kind of love, not one from which the giver seeks to gain. And when such love is given, it brings blessed relief, casts hope over despair, and offers a glimpse of Christ. It doesn't just accomplish a task or fill a practical need, but it also douses the soul with peace and contentment.

In those times when I am in a desert place, too thirsty to even reach for my canteen, I am thankful for the friends who come alongside me and offer water that genuinely quenches. Whether through flowers placed in the mailbox, a dirty house cleaned, hot meals prepared, prayers offered, or children cared for, I see God at work. So to all those people who have thoughtfully and selflessly encouraged me and my family over the years, thank you for sending love.