Praise you God of earth and sky, You are my unfailing love. That’s a song. Here’s more…how beautiful, is your unfailing love. Everything is in your hands still You make time for me. You remain. You never change. God you remain the holy one and my unfailing love.

Gods love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). As I visited an elder refugee friend Monday morning I was reminded of how sweet my visits with her have been over the past 6-12 months and how much I valued my sweet friend who could for the most part offer me nothing that the world might have to offer me in return. I know my friend, lets call her Anna, is often lonely. She’s in a new country and feels afraid and unsure. At least she speaks English well. But she has no easy life here as she has a lot of health issues that require her to have specific medicines for survival. She has no transportation. She tries to work but isn’t given many hours or paid enough to really support herself. She’s tried applying for additional assistance but all that has been a daunting and stressful paper trail for her therefore she’s enlisted my help through Asha’s Refuge.

I want all to know that every visit I make with Anna has created an opportunity for us to grow in friendship and trust. I often sit and just talk to her as she eagerly pushes me to eat sugary treats and drink sugary soft drinks with her. (Since I am watching my weight I secretly nibble and sip on the treats.) We talk about our lives and swap life lessons and laughs. She reminds me over and over what a gift I am to her and I tell her often how she is a gift to me. Anna teaches me things.

Over the Christmas and New Year, I knew Anna would be lonely with less hours to work and without her family near. I surprised her a couple of times with my visit and a few small gifts that I felt would give her hope. I gave her poems and songs that gave me hope in my time of need. I sat with her around Christmas and we agreed to always encourage one another. We prayed together…even if she didn’t really understand the Jesus I prayed to she showed respect. My heart melted as she held my hand and we prayed.

Monday morning I visited Anna again before I went to my other job (yes, I have a part time job that pays me some to help me out as I press on with what I believe is my calling). This time I was on the phone helping her with some issues with her medication. I again encouraged her. She was so grateful for my visit. I was grateful also to see her.

As I proceeded to leave, Anna asked me what I liked in her little apartment. I didn’t know what to say. What did she mean? What did I like? I was there to see her. I liked…her. But somehow I felt that she wanted to feel accepted and as though she had somehow collected things that were of value that she might give up to show me her thanks and her love for me. I could see in her eyes that she was desperate to give back to me as I had given to her. My heart sank. “Okay God. I’ll receive.” With utter humility I looked around to see and notice the things I had not before noticed. The treasures she worked hard to collect. What was I willing to say I liked? I hadn’t the heart to take from her.

Anna began pointing to her knick knacks and telling me where they came from. Did I want this or that? That or this? Then she pointed to something very special to her. No! I couldn’t…no, no… But yes, she insisted. She wiped off the shelf of little blue and white pottery pieces and wrapped them each in a plastic bag so that they would not break as I would later make my way home. She grinned at me with a smile that assured me that her gifts were meant for me.

Before I left, I reminded Anna that I didn’t need her gifts of thanks. She reminded me that it was the way they handled things in her country and that I must take them as it was in her heart for me to have them. Every time I think I’ve learned a lot as I serve disadvantaged refugees through Asha’s Refuge I realize I still know very little of what God wants for me to know. While I believe God worked through me to show His unfailing love I was able to feel and see His unfailing love in return. That’s how God works. When we give of ourselves in love we receive so much more love in return. And if we love while whole heartedly listening to God as we go then its a perfect and unfailing kind of love that we have an opportunity to receive in return.

God doesn’t need our gifts. He does not need us to help Him with His Kingdom work. He invites us because He “wants” us. There is a difference. His love never fails. It’s a perfect kind of love and He “wants” us to fully experience it. When we do, we will want nothing more than to give our all to loving Him back.