The following post is one I wrote for the Ashraya Blog today and can also be viewed here. :) It has been a beautiful day here in Northern India. We woke up to fluffy white snowflakes falling gracefully from the sky that together coated the ground in the most heavenly of ways.
I slowly hiked the slushy roads to the bazaar, passing no one except the ‘coolies’ transporting groceries and other goods up and down the mountain to the people who ordered them- by foot. I am always impressed by their work. Single men sometimes carrying refrigerators or washing machines strapped to their backs.
As I anxiously watched these dedicated men with calculated steps trudge through the slippery snow, I was reminded of a quote by Mother Teresa:
“Love has a hem to her garment that reaches the very dust. It sweeps the streets and lanes, and because it can, it must.”
These men take on this laborious work many times because they have no other choice. Uneducated and without knowing how to read or write, they set out each day to support their families by carrying heavy loads that leave them hunchbacked and exhausted. Now that’s love.
The love of a devout servant is the most powerful love of all. It’s unrequited and sacrificial. It doesn’t flash like the commercialized love of Valentine’s Day. It is quiet and unnoticed, but glorified by the One who loves us the most.
We at Ashraya Mission challenge you all (and ourselves!) to fill this Valentine’s Day with quiet acts of love like described by Mother Teresa. Love not because we can, but because we must.
Happy Valentine’s Day!