In April of 1985, my mom was diagnosed with cancer.
At the time, I was scheduled to preach several hours away. Instead, I canceled the meeting, bought her flowers, and went to be with her. When she saw me, she burst into tears and said, “Jimmy, could you ever forgive me for trying to crush my baby?”
Her words caught me by surprise, but I knew exactly what had brought her to that moment.
I grew up in a wonderful Catholic family, and when I gave my life to Christ at 17 years old, my mom didn’t understand my decision. For the next seven years, we loved each other, but our relationship was often strained.
Then, in May of 1984, God began changing me.
I was sitting in my room playing my guitar and singing, “Thou Art Worthy, O Jehovah.” My mom opened the door and asked with concern, “Jimmy, you haven’t become a Jehovah’s Witness, have you?” I smiled and assured her I hadn’t.
After she left, the Holy Spirit gently spoke to my heart. He didn’t tell me to defend my beliefs or prove I was right. Instead, He showed me that I wasn’t loving my mother the way He wanted me to.
I began thinking about everything she had done for me over the years. The next morning, I got up early, trimmed her trees and shrubs, washed the windows, and looked for every opportunity to serve her. That evening at dinner she looked at me in amazement and asked, “Jim, what’s gotten into you?”
I smiled and said, “Mom, the love of God has gotten into me.”
I apologized for not loving her as I should and asked her forgiveness. From that day forward, I prayed for her faithfully and let my actions speak as loudly as my words.
Then, in December of 1984, she looked at me and said something I’ll never forget. “Jimmy, before you go to bed tonight, will you pray with me to be born again?”
That evening, I had the privilege of leading my mother to Christ. Within a year, she was in Heaven.
1 John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is made complete in us.” Looking back, I believe my mom first encountered the love of Jesus through simple acts of kindness. Before she embraced the gospel, she experienced the heart of the One who gave it.
Our world needs followers of Jesus who make God’s love visible. We can be gifted, knowledgeable, and sincere, but if we fail to love well, we’ll never fully reflect His heart.
Who in your life needs to experience God’s love today? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one practical way to serve, encourage, or forgive someone. You may never know what God will do through one simple act of love. It could restore a relationship, soften a heart, or even change someone’s eternity.
