Today’s devotional is by Trudy Kellum. Thanks, shop Trudy!

Scripture: John 15:13
No one has greater love than this, treat to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Thought for the Day: : At the recent community-wide interfaith Thanksgiving service, the congregation was asked to simultaneously speak out the names of people and things for which they are thankful. “Friends” seemed to be the word that I heard spoken the most. While it seems unlikely that these folks will ever be asked to die for their friends, I imagine that their friendships involve many acts of selfless service and care of one another; as well as shared celebrations of the joys in life.

I see this love exemplified in the people around me who rearrange their lives to be able to lovingly attend to the needs of an ailing friend or family member; in the friend who I know I can call upon in a pinch to pick-up my children from school; in gatherings of friends to celebrate a birthday; a simple phone call to check on a loved one. I can think of times in my life when I have literally been rescued by these very examples of love from friends, yet they had no idea the depth of their actions.

While “laying down life,” may bring to mind a willingness to die, or the actual act of dying for a friend; I believe that in each and every act of kindness we share with a friend, a loved one or stranger, we are sharing bits of our lives in acts of Christ-like love. We may never know the extent to which these actions affect others, but they are no doubt life-changing for both the recipient and the giver.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the beautiful gift of friends with whom we share the joys and sorrows of life.  Please give us the strength and vision to lay down our lives in daily acts of service to the needs of others.  Amen.