I absolutley adore Valentine's day! I love that it's a holiday where you are simply meant to show love. Shouldn't this be a holiday we all look forward to? Somewhere in middle school or high school, we are convinced that if we aren't in a relationship, Valentine's Day is actually the worst day of the year and is only a reminder that you're single. Single Awareness Day as some so affectionately call it.
This year, I get to leave that mentality behind and join my 4th grade class (I'm student teaching this semester) on Valentine's Day and I seriously could not be more excited. In 4th grade, it's so simple. They don't care if they're in a relationship or not. To them, it's a day that they get to give cards to everyone in their class and get free candy. They get to receive 30 sweet cards, telling them that they are loved and that their peers are thankful to know them. Isn't that beautiful? I have been so excited for this day for an entire month and a half. I get to ignore what the world is trying to tell me about Valentine's Day and I get to dive back into the world of 10 year olds that love celebrating Valentine's Day!
But I'm writing this blog to challenge all of us to have a 4th grade Valentine's Day. Let's see tomorrow as an opportunity to share the love that has been so freely lavished on us and share it with everyone we come in contact with.
John 13: 34-35 "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." Our love should show the world that we are a follower of Christ. Does Jesus add in "except for Valentine's day where you can feel free to sulk and feel bad for yourself". NO! We are called to love the way Jesus loved. He loves us so much, He took our place. He bore our shame and DIED for us. That is love. That is love that beats out any Valentine we could ever have on this day, for the rest of our lives.
1 John 4:9-10 "God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is REAL love- not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."
My friends, I pray that no matter what your relationship status looks like, that tomorrow is a day you find the beauty in. Our God loved us first. Even before we had the chance to love Him, He loved and pursued us. We have never and will never deserve this love, but I pray that we walk in it for all of our days. Even on Valentine's Day when it's easy to feel unloved, I hope we cling to the greatest Lover we could ever know. May we remember our 4th grade Valentine's day and give love freely, joyfully and selflessly.
