Happy Valentines Day...really!

Happy Valentine's Day! I find it very odd that I am saying this and am surprised that I am having such a wonderful Valentine's Day. In all honesty, I have been dreading today for a while now. The realistic situation is that it can often make those not in romantic relationships feel very alone, while the rest of the world celebrates the significant relationships in their lives. Not only this, but can often make you think about past relationships and the bruises left behind. And I mean, I appreciate my Dad's efforts to make me feel loved, but in all honesty, it just isn't the same. But the good news is that I am here to tell you that this dread has turned in to a hope and an excitement to take opportunities to love others, and as a result, show my love for God in order that I may glorify him with my life.

Although my stance on Valentine's Day has shifted many times over the years, I must admit that I am a closet Valentine's Day fan (apparently not any more). In the past I have often taken the opinion that Valentine's Day is simply a commercialized holiday encouraging us to spend ridiculous amounts of money to show people in our lives the love, that realistically, we should be showing every day. Have you ever researched the history behind Valentine's Day? I mean seriously...who turns the anniversary of three Christian Martyrs in to a holiday based around love? (Wikipedia is your friend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day) Valentine's Day is commercialized, overdone, cheesy holiday, and is based around a terrible story, but the fact of the matter is that we live in a culture in which Valentine's Day is a part, and being in the world, not a part of it (John 15:19), gives me the encouragement to seek to love all those whom God has given me the opportunity to love, and love them in a way that may perhaps, direct them to Christ. John 4:19 says "we love because he first loved us." God has created us, and given us the opportunity to love at all. To feel love is is because of God's incredible design for us, to be loved by God is given to us in grace, and it is only God who can empower us to love others, whether that be a spouse, a significant other, a sibling or a stranger. We need to move away from this idea that love is an action, but see it as a lifestyle. A constant giving of yourself to whomever God gives you the opportunity.

I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my Valentine's Day then being at church with a family of believers whom I have come to love and respect so much, having lunch with my Mom and Dad who have been incredible examples of love in my life, taking a brief afternoon nap (which I loved), and then spending the evening with 3 beautiful children whom I love dearly, decorating Valentine's cupcakes, playing games and falling asleep together in a large king sized bed. God is good, and I pray that I would be thankful for the glimpses of love He has given me in my life, and I would be a great example of Christ's love to everyone around me, not just today, but every day. I pray your Valentine's Day was as blessed as mine.