The favorite words my wife likes to hear from my lips, next to "Let's eat out tonight," are the words "I love you." But they are meaningless to her if I don't show my love by the way I treat her. This is true in all relationships. We must do more than just say we care about people who are needy, lonely, or depressed. We must show it.

Many years ago a couple told me about an elderly widow who had no family or close friends. She lived next door and they often invited her over for their evening meal. One snowy afternoon the wife saw the neighbor head for the city dump pulling a small wagon. When dusk arrived and she had not yet returned, the husband became concerned and set out to look for her.

He eventually found her near a pile of debris, sitting on her cart, head down, oblivious to the snow--a picture of despondency. He touched her shoulder and called her by name. With a start, she looked up and said, "You are God's answer to my prayer. I just told Him that I was here alone, that only He knew, and that nobody cared. He just showed me that you care." The man gently led her home where she rested and shared a meal with him and his wife. That's loving "in deed and in truth" (1 Jn. 3:18).

Today, let's look for ways to put words into action.  — Herbert Vander Lugt