The Pure Love of Christ

With the Christmas season upon us, I have been pondering on Charity, the pure love of Christ. Throughout my life I have had different experiences that have allowed me to feel the pure love of Christ for another child of God. One particular time was last Christmas while serving food at a soup kitchen. After dinner had been served and clean up had begun, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find one of the men who had just completed his meal. He was an older man who looked tired and disheveled. His skin was weathered by time and sun and his eyes were sad and humble. As I acknowldged him, his small eyes began to fill with tears until they streamed down his face. With complete sincerity his gaze met mine and he spoke, "Thank you. Thank you for serving us on this great day". Choked up, he took my hand, patted it and repeated his words, "Thank you for serving us on this great day." At that moment I felt a rush of love and compassion for this broken man. No longer was he a faceless begger, but instead, one of God's children. The "Great Day" that he was speaking of was the celebration of a Christ's birth. A Christ who had come to Earth not only to die for me, but who had been born in a humble stable, suffered in Gathseme and died on the cross for this man also. He too meant everything to our Heavenly Father and was one of the many reasons that He gave his only begotten Son in order to complete the great Atonement. I have often reflected upon the devastating circumstances that this man must have encountered in his life and how his humility and gratitude continued to shine through. I hope to never forget the Charity that this man taught me with his powerful message spoken in such simple words and strive to see every person as Heavenly Father sees them.