Biblical Love for Such a Time As This

Tevye: Golde, I have decided to give Perchik permission to become engaged to our daughter, Hodel.

Golde: What??? He's poor! He has nothing, absolutely nothing!

Tevye: He's a good man, Golde. I like him. And what's more important, Hodel likes him. Hodel loves him. So what can we do? It's a new world... A new world. Love. Golde... Do you love me?

Golde: Do I what?

Tevye: Do you love me?

Golde: Do I love you? With our daughters getting married. And this trouble in the town. You're upset, you're worn out. Go inside, go lie down! Maybe it's indigestion.

Tevye: Golde I'm asking you a question... Do you love me?

Golde: You're a fool.

Tevye: I know... But do you love me?

Golde: Do I love you? For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes. Cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow. After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?.......

Edith Schaeffer writes about the LOVE in her home back in the 1960s-70s in L’Abri, Switzerland…with her husband, children and especially with ministry to others:

“Life wasn’t easy by any means. There seemed to be constant stacks of dishes to wash, a tremendous succession of meals to prepare, endless sheets to hang out, countless letters to write, hours on end of conversation which took precedence over all other work—because these were people sent to us for a purpose…

Sometimes when difficult times are being lived through it seems as though the difficulties are simply too mundane to be the least bit worthwhile. Martyrs being tortured or persecuted for their faith at least sounds dramatic. Having to cook, serve meals to two sittings at times without ever sitting down to eat in between yourself, having constantly to clean up spilled and broken things, to empty mounds of garbage, and to scrub a stove that things have boiled over on, or an oven in which things have spilled over and baked to a black crust is neither dramatic or glamorous!..

…The Lord was sending people and amazing things were ‘springing forth,’ but the prayer answers brought with them the need to be willing to accept all that the answers meant, in the way of work, as well as excitement.”

pp. 148, 155-156, in the book: L’Abri, by Edith Schaeffer, Tyndale House.

G. Mark Sumpter