My grandmother gave me a silver charm for my charm bracelet when I was a little girl. I still have it on my bracelet today. “Faith, Hope, and Charity”….I don’t think I really understood it then, or why she loved that charm so much. It came from a little store in her town called The Jewel Box. It was a big deal to me to get a gift from that store. I understand it now. My silver charm is a prized possession of mine. But more important are the words and meaning that are prized today in this time of great uncertainty.
Faith and hope go hand in hand. We must always have faith in God. When I feel panicky, I have to be still and think about that. Hope keeps me going, too! “Charity” in Christian writings is the highest form of love, indicating the reciprocal love between God and humans, which is demonstrated when we show unselfish love to one another.
The phrase is based on 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV): “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (The King James Version uses “charity” instead of “love.”)
The greatest is love. Love today is being demonstrated in so many ways. During this virus outbreak, our health professionals are working endlessly to minister to patients, neighbors are helping the elderly, schools and organizations are feeding children, and people are connecting at a new level.
Our sewing ladies are making masks for medical teams that simply have none. Are they the “required specifications”? No, but when you have nothing, these are so good to have. These are gifts of love. What this really shows is that people are taking the talents they have to show love and concern to those they don’t even know! That is so wonderful.
I have seen children gathering food for food banks and schools. That brings tears to my eyes. They, at a very early age, are learning about sacrificial love as they are doing what they know to do to help. People are bringing masks and gloves from their homes and offices and contributing to medical facilities. I could write for hours about what I have seen that I call “love in action.”
Working together blurs all lines of race, nationality, political party, and age. How refreshing! It’s neighbor helping neighbor to survive and come out on the other side of this a better nation. I pray that we will always love each other as we have during these days. We have found that we can stay home as much as possible and be content.
Faith will be our foundation and rock.
Hope will lead us on this journey of unknown days.
And love will the greatest gift we can give and receive.
May God give you peace and comfort during these days. We are all one in this, and together we will go forward.
Much love and prayers,
Phyllis
Comments 23
Dear Phyllis,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with all us Ribbon fans, and today you are
the Rainbow in my life…..
God Bless and stay healthy and to all the other Ribbon gals your in my prayers!
Take care,
California Carmel
I recognize the Spirit within you…it is from the One Who loved us first so that we could love, also. Thank you for sharing exactly what the world needs to hear today. I will share this beautiful word from the Word that you have ‘spoken’ into our lives and I know that “it will not return void” as the KJV says. It will bear much fruit to the glory of God…He’s a good, good Father!!!
May our nation be one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all because we His people have done what II Chronicles 7:14 & 15 and I Timothy 2: 1-3, as well as other scriptures instructs us to do so that God can heal our land and give us peace and safety.
May His wonderful peace, presence and blessing rest upon you and your family today and always.
Thank you again!
Thank you, Phyllis, for bringing words of comfort to us at this difficult time. You are indeed a blessing.
Thank you for reminding us of this. Love you, Phyllis!
Phyllis, your message brings a pleasant moment in our California lockdown. And your charm bracelet reminds me of a gift my father gave me when I was about twelve years old, and which I still have. It is a gold link bracelet with one charm. On it is the tree of life with three stones, each one represents the birthstones of my father, my mother and myself. I have never added other charms to the bracelet because I think the one has such meaning.
Stay safe during this difficult time.
Thank you, Phyllis. We must remind ourselves that God is control. Psalm 121 tells us that He does not slumber or sleep. He is with us always, & He will provide. My great hope is that when this is over, we will continue to show our love for others. As a side note, it takes 20 seconds to pray the Lord’s Prayer, so amid all the hand washing, we can be praying.
You are such a blessing! All the comments mean so much and are so fitting. Everyone take care!
So thankful for your willingness to share faith, hope, and love. How we all need such encouragement.
What a lovely, meaningful keepsake. I also wear a bracelet with the words Faith Hope Love on it. Currently I find it especially faith strengthening to reflect on the wisdom of quarantine to prevent the spread of disease, and the fact that the practice of quarantine was part of God’s law code to the nation of Israel more than 3,000 years ago. The same book of wisdom also foretold the distressing things we see happening today. The gospel books of Matthew (Chapter 24), Mark (Ch 13), & Luke (Ch 21) all contain parallel accounts describing these events. The physician Luke includes ‘pestilences’ (verse 11). All three tell us not to be terrified; Luke 21:28 helps explain why.
When we allow Him to do so, God uses us in a multitude of ways. Today He spoke to me through your words.
It is when one loses Hope that one loses not only the desire to go on but the strength to do so.
Thank you for allowing Him to use you to remind me (and my Ribbon Friends) that through Our Faith in His Love Our Souls are never without Hope.
Prayers for Faith, Hope and Love for each of us…
I do so appreciate your words of hope and encouragement, words and prayers are powerful in these times. Blessings to you and yours.
Thank you so much Phyllis for your thoughtful and heartfelt words, which
Inspired those to write lovely words in the comments.
Thank you for such beautiful words.
Please share Ribbon with your friends. Forward the email. There are people who need hope and encouragement during these days. If we can help one person find God’s love and strength to carry on it will be worth it.
Thank you Phyllis! Faith , Love and Hope will get us through this hard time!
We all need each other. I am so grateful for your beautiful words!
God Bless
Thank you for your inspiring words! We are so blessed to have you in our lives!
During these days of uncertainty, I have started a group text with my husband, our eight children, son-in-laws, and a boyfriend to post a daily grateful text. We all need one another during these “distancing times”.
Some of our texts are full of humor and others touch the soul.
Thank you again, Phyllis- I am grateful for your words!
Thank you Phyllis- love that in these tough times what matters most shines brightly. The fluff ( even lovely fluff! ) is not what matters most but knowing “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” is what is restorative. Thank you to you and your readers, I am reading that scripture from Psalm 91 daily as a reader shared it on this comment section in your last post. Grateful to be part of this lovely community.
I have vacation rental property and my business is terrible right now with everyone cancelling, asking for and deserving their money back. I wake up knowing that knowing God and loving my family/ community are what are important, material possessions are not. Many blessings to you and our fellow community.
Thank you for these inspiring thoughts. May God bless you and yours!
Thank you, Phyllis, for giving hope from this beautiful scripture found in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (from the New King James Version). In these troubled times, this scripture gives us courage to face life and put forth the extra effort to do what we can to help our friends, neighbors, and even strangers to be safe and to survive. I have faith to believe that our nation will come through this, and will be a greater nation as the result. May God bless our President, Congress, doctors, nurses, pastors, law officers, workers, and all who are laboring to help get us through this.
Thank you Phyllis for those beautiful words of comfort during these troubling times! There are no greater words than Faith, Hope, and Love. Thanks for the blessing!!!
Thank you Phyllis. We are going through tough times indeed but we can look to the past and take inspiration from so many generations before us and what they had to go through to see that they too were guided by those three simple but ever so powerful words.
The dark clouds will lift and once again we will bask in the sunlight together.
Stay well.
What a blessing you are, Phyllis! How amazing that your grandmother’s message of faith, hope and love is now extending to your readers through her beloved granddaughter.
Thank you, again, for your soothing words. We know that good will come from this. Hopefully that we learn to trust in our Lord and continue to praise and be thankful . . .in all times, not just during turmoil. That would be the best . . .to see our nation maintain our faith and stay kind! Your love and faith are spread through your publications . . . you are a blessing!