"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
James 1:27
During my widowhood I experienced the love of my Christian friends in ways I never had before. One Valentine's eve, a young couple from my church came to my home with flowers and homemade, decorated cupcakes. Their visit lifted my spirits at a very lonely time and I'm sure their actions brought a smile to our Father's face. He isn't interested in our pious words and rituals, but how we live in this corrupted world. We are to care for those who are hurting, whoever and wherever they are. Widows and orphans are a symbol of all people in need; God's compassion extends to the divorced and sick, the jobless and homeless, and to anyone else who is in pain -- physical or emotional. Along with putting feet to our faith, God wants us to behave in ways that show we belong to Him. "Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. (1John 2:16 -- The Message)
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