The symbols of love are all around us this week—from the advertisements on television for diamonds and flowers to the grocery store aisles filled with candy and Valentine’s cards. This time of year, it’s so easy for us to reduce love to candy hearts and expensive dinners. But just last week, we had an incredible reminder of the true meaning of love: service.
When the North Point Community Church project team touched down in Jericho, they thought they knew what their week would entail, but God had something so much bigger in mind.
Half their team set out to finish construction on the home of a struggling mother in a nearby Bedouin camp. Najah tried for years to make her home livable, but with a husband battling drug addiction who was in and out of jail, she was forced to move in with her mother. She even had to marry her daughter off very young because she simply couldn’t provide for her. After years of struggle, her home was still unfinished and unsafe.
. 
This project team set out to remedy that and finally give her a place to call home. However, as they worked to get the electricity on and new doors installed, we received upsetting news—Najah’s mother had unexpectedly passed away. Not only did the team race to complete the project while she grieved, they went out of their way to make sure she felt loved and supported. They attended the funeral, bringing the traditional offering of sugar and rice for the family.
Had the team not arrived when they did, Najah would have had nowhere to turn when her mother died. But thanks to the service and dedication of these men, she now has the safety and security that means so much to women in Jericho.
PHOTO: Members of the project team share a traditional meal as they pay their respects at Najah’s mother’s funeral.
As the men worked on Najah’s home, the women hosted one of our famous spa days and spent time at the school. Our spa days are a highlight for so many women in the community. They love to come and get pampered—something uncommon in their daily lives.
One young woman almost refused her pedicure when the team member, who was older than her, tried to kneel at the young woman’s feet. In Middle Eastern culture, someone older than you should never bow or be below you. It’s the younger person that should always be serving the elder. Eventually, the team member convinced the younger woman to let her serve her. She washed her feet and gave her a pedicure and massage, an act of service that the woman would not soon forget.
The most significant message of the spa day is that these women—who spend so much of their lives taking care of their children, husbands, and family—deserve to be served as well. And even when they feel unworthy or unloved, teams like this one can show up tell them that they are worthy of love and kindness.
Love is one of the most powerful things we can show our community. It has opened doors for Seeds of Hope to impact countless lives and families over the years. And at the end of the day, there’s no better way to show love than serving one another.
