"Electricity originates inside clouds. There, it forms into lightning, which is attracted to the Earth by golfers. After entering the ground, the electricity hardens into coal, which, when dug up by power companies and burned in big ovens called 'generators,' turns back into electricity.where it is transformed by TV sets into commercials for beer, which passes through the consumers and back into the ground, thus completing what is known as a 'circuit.'"

Kasey and I have our own Fantastic Four: our children. I have had a blast raising them, introducing them to Jesus, playing with them, disciplining them, even teaching them to drive (they disagree over who was yelled at the most by Dad while learning.) When we brought Justin home from Irving Community Hospital over a quarter of a century ago, I remember one of my concerns. Would there be enough love to go around? Kasey and I loved one another, but with a new baby joining us, would the total amount of love available be lessened as three of us shared it? Two and a half years later, we brought Amanda home from Albuquerque's Presbyterian Hospital, and my fear was back.will there be enough love? Partly concern for my children, but mostly it was a selfish fear. Will there be enough for me? How can we love each other and two children?

I was amazed to experience, with Kasey, what I call the mystery of the enlarged capacity. As gas expands to fill its container, so our ability to love expanded with our family's size. Lucas was born exactly three years to the day after Amanda; then two years later, God surprised us with Grace. As our family grew, so grew our capacity to give and receive love. My fears withered as I experienced this mystery. I was Grinch-like, whose heart "grew three sizes that day."

The Apostle John records how the "love circuit" works:

The Father loves me because I lay down my life. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends... This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.. We love because he first loved us.(John 10:17, 10:11 15:13 1 John 3:16, 4:19 )

Call me smarty-pants, but I get the idea the love circuit begins when someone lays down his life for someone else. In Greek, the word translated "lay down" is a common one, "tithaymi;" it means to take something and deliberately put it someplace.

Like 36 year old Claudia Lillibridge and 46 year old Celia Lipinski, both kidney donors. Claudia's husband, Doug Lillibridge, needed a kidney. Celia's sister, Paula Lipinski, also needed a kidney. So they swapped. Each woman laid down a kidney, so that her husband / sister might receive one. Although they live 400 miles from each other (Ohio & Wisconsin), they are now permanently connected and "close relations". The donors were matched by the Ohio Solid Organ Transplant Consortium. The four adults met in Cleveland, where four surgeries were performed simultaneously so the kidneys spent less time outside of a body.

Claudia was quoted, "We are paired up with people in the same dire situation. What a life-saving gift exchange this is! My husband will feel better and off dialysis and so will Paula, his donor's sister."*

Paul the apostle weighs in, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (omans 5:5)

As I open my heart (I do this by willfully choosing to open my heart), He fills it with his love, Spirit to spirit. As I lay down my life, I demonstrate real love to others. This means for most of us not a martyr's death or a life-ending sacrifice, but intentional acts of kindness done for friends, family, and strangers. I lay down my schedule, my right to go first, my personal needs. The mystery is that as I lay it down, I also experience a greater capacity to serve, give, and help others: and others begin to serve, help, and give to me. The circuit is completed.

This is a risky way to live. To dare to lay down my "stuff" for others, trusting that as I open my heart and give and serve simply, I won't be burned out, exhausted, taken advantage of, but rather completed. Jesus went first. He showed how to do it, and invites us to follow. I can love by faith and receive more love in return. I can even love unlovable, crabby, cranky folks, and know it wasn't wasted.

The following story needs to be true: (I read it on the net, right?) "Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, 'God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!' Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, 'that's what's wrong this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!'

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, 'Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?' As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached our table. He winked at my son and said, 'I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.' 'Really?' my son asked. 'Cross my heart,' the man replied. Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started the whole thing), 'Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.'

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, 'Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already.'" **