1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does
not boast, it is not proud.
On April 6, 2000, Ricky and Toni Sexton were at their
home in Wytheville, Virginia. Shortly after noontime, Ricky, who suffers from
Lou Gehrig's disease and is confined to a wheelchair, remained in the house
while Toni went outside to walk the dog. As soon as she got to the driveway, a
fugitive couple, Dennis Lewis and Angela Tanner, roared into their driveway,
pointed pistols at Toni and ordered her into the house. The couple was on the
run fresh from a gunfight with police in Tennessee.
Inside the house, the Sextons turned their hostage
experience into an opportunity to demonstrate Christian love. The Sextons
listened to their captors' troubles, fed them, showed them gospel videos, read
to them from the Bible, and prayed and cried with them. During the thirty-six
hours of negotiations with the police, Ricky Sexton refused his own release
when Lewis and Tanner suggested that they might end the standoff by committing
suicide.
The standoff had an unusual ending. Before surrendering
to the police, Angela Tanner left $135 and a note for the Sextons that read:
"Thank you for your hospitality. We really appreciate it. I hope he gets
better. Wish all luck & love. Please accept this. It really is all we have
to offer. Love, Angela and Dennis." One of the requests the fugitive
couple made upon surrendering was to speak to a state police chaplain.
Christian love is patient and kind and is a powerful
force. Will you take a minute and share it today?
Dear Lord, thank You for the love You have shown for each
of us. Help us seek ways to show it to someone today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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