Traits of a Friend: Faith, Hope, and Love – My Tuesday Three

I was going to write that I decided to do something a little different for My Tuesday Three today, but then I realized there was no answer to the question, “different from what?” This blog theme has already involved so much variety – from three blogs to three quotes to three people and more – that one more variation is not really something different from what I’ve done before.

Today’s post is a testament to my friend Holly who is a fellow ACLEA (Association for Continuing Legal Education) member. She was actually one of my very first ACLEA friends and was one of my co-presenters when I was on a panel at my first ACLEA meeting seven years ago. Holly is a truly amazing person and something she said to me the other day got me thinking about this blog post. As I thought about what I would write and how it could fit into My Tuesday Three theme, I decided I wanted to share three things about her.

First, Holly has incredible faith. In spite of, or perhaps as a result of, some serious challenges in her life she trusts completely that God is in control and has a purpose for her life. Several years ago, on the plane ride home from one of our ACLEA conferences, she suffered a severe brain injury that eventually required brain surgery. The injury – on top of her MS – took away the little bit of hearing she still had in her right ear. Every day she faces challenges that would cause some people to give up. But to meet her you would never guess because she is so outgoing and full of joy. She credits her faith and her God with sustaining her through it all and says that she is incredibly blessed.

Second, Holly is a beacon of hope. She is a shining example of always looking towards the future with expectation that God has a plan and that whatever He has planned will be a blessing. Even though she has MS, she is not anxious about the future because she knows God is with her. Even if tomorrow brings another life-threatening surgery, she has the hope that when she dies it will not be the end. It will simply be her appointed time to go home.

Third, Holly is one who lives a life based on love. The thing she said to me yesterday exemplifies this. We were headed to dinner in a small group when a homeless person approached us asking for a few dollars. I gave the woman $2 that I could easily get to in my wallet, and we headed on our way. Holly and I began to talk about this and she said she always tries to provide a hot meal or some other help when she sees someone in need like that. She said, “I always think how blessed I am that how could I not help someone else?” She has shared other stories with me of how she has shown the love of Christ to others. But she never tells these stories in an attempt to brag, but out of a genuineness that is born of true love.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV).