Here Today, Going Home Tomorrow
I was anticipating coming home today, but it looks like I will have to wait a little longer. My improvement is faster than the test results to confirm what is happening in my body. My doctor came in today to let me know that I do have a significant bacterial infection but the specifics will not be known until tomorrow. My infectious disease doctor should be around tomorrow to weigh in on the duration and type of antibiotic that I will need upon discharge.
It was good to have Jerry and Virginia Pippin to come by and visit today. They told me they usually don’t stay as long as they did. I told them, that I wasn’t sick (or at least feeling sick) any more.
Dr. Daniel Asadi is the Medical Director at Northern Colorado Acute Hospital. He oversaw my care during my most critical days when I was first admitted to the Acute Care Hospital. I continued to see him in passing after I moved on to the Rehab Hospital. He was always very encouraging and supportive and continues to be so. I was pleased the he was included on the 9News update report of my recovery from West Nile. I made sure I had a picture taken of the two of us when I was at the Rehab Hospital this past Wednesday.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:9
There is not a shortage of things to “love” or those who profess to “love.” There is lack of understanding of “genuine” love. There are those who can tell you the painful stories of insincere love and love that faded not long after it was expressed.
That which is genuine is authentic, valuable, “the real deal.” As Paul writes about Christian character he says that love is to be genuine. I believe the phrases that follow give the first clue to genuine love.
Love hates. Love hates what is evil. It is not willing to look the other way or tolerate misbehavior under some false pretense of love. Genuine love holds fast to what is good. It cherishes and it persists.
We also get a glimpse of what genuine love is to Paul by looking at his other letters. When he writes to the Galatians he says, “…through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
This is reinforced by John when he wrote, “let us not love in words or in talk, but in action and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) So we see that love is a demonstration of the action of our lives more than the words that we speak from our lips. In relationships expression of love is important. But if actions don’t reinforce the words, the words lose their meaning.
When Paul writes to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, he describes the importance of love. In 1 Corinthians 13 he says what love is and what love is not. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8) When you look at the descriptions you find that love has a focus on others, not self. You find that love, genuine love, is action oriented, persistent, wise, forgiving, upward in focus and tenaciously optimistic.
That is the love God the Father has for us and demonstrates to us. When we “allow love to be genuine” it helps us to reflect the character of a great God.