“In loving others, I am doing that which brings me closest to God, for God is love.” – Excerpt from Today’s Daily Word, May 21, 2010

My loving others took some novel forms for me yesterday. In the morning, I did my first volunteer session at the Humane Society of Sedona. I got to be with Beeker, a canine who’s been living there for about two months.

He’s still a bit wary of humans, but when my mentor told me he loves affection, I exclaimed, “We’re a match!” Beeker enjoys his new temporary home and doesn’t like to go very far from it. Hence, my walking him turned out to be a bust but that simply gave us the opportunity to just socialize.

I spent about 30” with Beeker, keeping him company, petting him almost continuously, talking to him and telling him he was a good boy. I was simply loving him. I opened my heart and poured out to him kindness, caring, compassion, and hope for a better life in the future than what he’d lived in the past.

In the evening, during choir practice, one of the members’ children was playing outside and scraped her knee. Somehow I got involved in taking care of her wound, but I certainly didn’t mind. Tara is part of our Unity family and so it’s natural – and an honor – to pitch in and help. She appeared fine emotionally, but still I opened my heart to her as I gave first aid.

It’s “interesting” that yesterday God’s plan was to open me to two populations – both vulnerable ones – I’ve not had as part of my regular life, both in the same day. It was an adventure and an opportunity for me to love others and bring me closer to God.

And, it is not lost on me that it was also a way of loving the little girl within. We are all wounded in some way, but God’s love shining through other beings brightens our life and helps heal us all.