God’s Personal Love

Serving the poorest of the poor in Calcutta allowed me to experience God’s personal love for me in a profound way. It’s easy for us to define and seek to prove ourselves by all of our achievements, relationships, and good deeds. In the heat and humidity of Calcutta, serving the residents of Kalighat, the house for the dying and the destitute, and Shanti Dan, the house for mentally and physically disabled women, God broke down the illusion that I must prove myself to him. Most of the residents we served in Calcutta were in a position of total humility and surrender. Almost all of them needed aid from the sisters or other volunteers to do basic activities like walking, dressing themselves, feeding themselves, etc. Some residents that we encountered were not cognitively aware at all. Yet, as I was holding the hand of a resident who was in a wheelchair and not cognitively aware, it struck me: God loves her just as much as he loves Mother Teresa. For Him, there are no actions we can do to earn His love, faithfulness, and tenderness. His love is a free and tender gift that has no limits and asks for nothing in return. I realized at that moment that I do not need to earn God’s love, but rather to rest in it, delight in it, and let it be the life source from which all of my thoughts, words, and actions flow.

Olivia
India Mission Trip
2024 Spring Break