Today I was running on the trails and a man on a bike stopped to let me know that there was a mama bear and three cubs on the trail in the direction I was heading. I thanked him and continued on.

Further ahead I asked a biker, coming from the direction of the bears, if she has seen them so I could gauge how far away I was.

She hadn’t seen them and we both continued on in our separate directions.

The next thing I knew, the woman on the bike was next to me heading in the same direction as me. She came back to be sure I passed by the bears safely.

I was so touched by the is simple yet profound act of love.

She knew nothing about me except that I may be unsafe and chose to reroute from her path to be sure I was safe.

This is what loving your neighbor looks like and sounds like.

I don’t know her name yet this thoughtful moment will stay with me and inspire me to seek where I can be love in action.

I share this with you today to invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we be inspired by this woman and seek to live our neighbors today, even if it redirects us from our path. This is how God calls us to live, so may we be a reflection of that love to others, like this woman was to me today on the trials.

With gratitude and hope,
Shawn

Love your neighbor as yourself
- Mark 12:31