Valentine's Day.
The day for people to celebrate love with their significant other. For some it’s a great day. They are in a happy, healthy relationship with someone whom they care about and make this day special with them. They delight in each other, exchange thoughtful presents, express their hearts, and just enjoy each other’s company. For others it can be a sad day. It highlights the fact that they don’t have someone special to share the day with. Or, maybe they are in a relationship, but it’s not a happy one. They celebrate the day out of duty, not out of joy.
As I think about this day, I think about where I was a year ago. I had not even heard of the World Race at that point. I was following God, but it was half-hearted. My worth and identity was not in God, but on this day, was based on another who I learned later on never even cared about me in the first place. After a blah night, I remember going to bed feeling empty on this “day of love”. I ended up writing a letter to my future husband sharing some of my heart and how I couldn’t wait to spend Valentine's Day with him one day. I know God prepared someone great for me and if I could just hurry and meet him, then I would understand what love really was.
Now I can celebrate that I am no longer that person. I no longer strive to find my identity in a guy, past, present or future, even if he is a Christian. I am a person who holds my head up high and knows who I am in Christ. I will no longer change who I am, lower my standards, give in to my convictions, just to please another person. I have that strength because I learned what it means to walk in a new love and acceptance of Christ. It’s so much more fulfilling than even relationships can be. It's the best kind of love to celebrate and I am so happy to say that Jesus is my perfect valentine this year!
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Fast forward a year and I am now across the world living life in Malaysia. I wanted God to take me to new depths that I’ve never experienced before. I walk with Him and He shows me a small fraction of how He sees the world:
-I look into the eyes of people around me— I see hollowness.
-I see women stand in the shadows of the street in the red light district— I see shame.
-I see people bow and pray to statues in their immaculate temples—I see emptiness.
-I watch movies on my laptop and see actors portraying what the world truly faces every day: Twisting things in their head of what they know is right just to fit what their flesh wants, girls putting their worth in whether a guy likes them or not, people running on hatred/revenge/violence…the list goes on.
-I read articles and see how teenagers are drowning in an ocean of worldly sexuality at such a young age—don’t they know it will leave scars on them forever?
– I learn about religions that are totally shut off from the word of God, therefore are never exposed to Him. Even in the country I am in, if we speak to anyone of the Muslim faith about Jesus or give them anything with His name on it, we can be thrown in jail without a trial.
– I meet people around town who spend hours meditating in temples, yet feel nothing. Others believe in spirits, but not the one true Spirit.
– I pray to God on our rooftop and hear the call of prayer in the distance filling the air…
They are all trying to search for something—to fill the void. Relationships can’t fill it, traditions can’t fill it, family can’t fill it, revenge can’t fill it…nothing can fill it except God. I see it everyday, first hand. Lately, it’s almost like I can feel people’s hearts around me. People are longing to be loved, desired, and fulfilled. They want to be accepted and delighted in.
They are asking in their heart: “Who will be my perfect Valentine?”
