Every time the word Valentine or Valentines Day is mentioned,
my teammates eyes shoot my way. They know my initial reaction will be a sour
looking face, with lips turned down, and eyes squinted.
my teammates eyes shoot my way. They know my initial reaction will be a sour
looking face, with lips turned down, and eyes squinted.
For some odd reason, they have decided that I am a bit of a
Valentines Day Scrooge. =p
Valentines Day Scrooge. =p
SO I will take the liberty to explain why my reaction is so
passionate, whenever the day is spoken of.
passionate, whenever the day is spoken of.
True that my last male Valentine was when I was in 6th
grade, and received a stuffed white dog, which I named Pooky, and I believe
some chocolate (how original…but for a 6th grader, I’m sure that was
at least two weeks allowance worth.). And pretty much every Valentine since, my
mom has graciously and faithfully been my Valentine. Which, while I’m typing I am
beginning to realize, is actually a very fitting Valentine in light of my Anti-Valentine’s Day vendetta. Here’s the deal:
grade, and received a stuffed white dog, which I named Pooky, and I believe
some chocolate (how original…but for a 6th grader, I’m sure that was
at least two weeks allowance worth.). And pretty much every Valentine since, my
mom has graciously and faithfully been my Valentine. Which, while I’m typing I am
beginning to realize, is actually a very fitting Valentine in light of my Anti-Valentine’s Day vendetta. Here’s the deal:
I am not a love scrooge… I love love. Love is beautiful. It
is exciting. It is life-changing. It is the fuel for songs that send you to
another planet, and have you slow dancing in front of the mirror (don’t act
like you have never done that!). Love is the inspiration to so many forms of
breathtaking art.
is exciting. It is life-changing. It is the fuel for songs that send you to
another planet, and have you slow dancing in front of the mirror (don’t act
like you have never done that!). Love is the inspiration to so many forms of
breathtaking art.
Love is special.
Love is sacred.
Unfortunately, in our commercialized and superficial
society, the sacredness of love is lost.
society, the sacredness of love is lost.
And I started to see Valentines Day as one of the major
exploiters.
exploiters.
Now, don’t get me wrong… It is a nice day for many to
celebrate the gift of love that is shared between each other. But a question I
have is…
celebrate the gift of love that is shared between each other. But a question I
have is…
“When is love
celebrated all the other 364 days of the year with your loved ones?�
celebrated all the other 364 days of the year with your loved ones?�
And my other question is
“Is it really LOVE that’s being celebrated?�
Often, Valentines Day evokes a festival of lust in love’s disguise. There is pressure put on a lot of people to meet an
expectation…whether it is physical, mental, or emotional.
expectation…whether it is physical, mental, or emotional.
And more often than not, those expectations are not met… and
if they are met…they are not followed through, in the days that follow that
“special� night.
if they are met…they are not followed through, in the days that follow that
“special� night.
As I travel around the world, and experience different
languages, cultures, traditions, societies, living arrangements, and religions…
there are two things that EVERYONE has in common. They all want hope…and they
all want love.
languages, cultures, traditions, societies, living arrangements, and religions…
there are two things that EVERYONE has in common. They all want hope…and they
all want love.
It would be an awesome day when the countries that celebrate
Valentine’s Day would come to the realization of what true love is.
Valentine’s Day would come to the realization of what true love is.
Maybe you have seen this verse plastered on trinkets, and wall hangings.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” -1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” -1 Corinthians 13:4-7
But this part is often left out. And it’s an answer to many of us who have questioned “Where does this kind of love exist?”
“…God is love.â€� -1 John 4:8
God doesn’t celebrate us once a year. He sings over us every
day.
day.
His unconditional love calls us to draw closer to Him more
and more every single day.
and more every single day.
He gives us beautiful sunrises every morning, and
magnificent sunsets every night.
magnificent sunsets every night.
His love is genuine…real…sacred…
Love IS His very essence
He never fails
He never guilts or forces us into anything
He doesn’t “love� us one night, then forget about us the
next morning,
next morning,
He doesn’t compare us to another person and make us feel
less than.
less than.
He doesn’t ask more of us than we can give.
He has our best intentions in mind
He cares for more than our physical state.. He cares for our
eternal state.
eternal state.
He desires to spend one on one time with us on a daily
basis.
basis.
He died innocently, for every single one of our screwups.
His love is selfless…sacrificial
Now, that’s a Love worth celebrating!
That’s a love I can celebrate and experience every single day.
So you may not agree with my viewpoint, and that’s totally
o.k. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope that you have a Valentines Day filled with God’s true
love flowing out of you, to the loved ones around you.
o.k. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope that you have a Valentines Day filled with God’s true
love flowing out of you, to the loved ones around you.
And if you’re nervous about the day coming up, because it
evokes not so fond memories…here’s something to look forward to…Hope… embodied
in Jesus. The Love that won’t ever…ever… use you, abuse you, cheat on you, or
leave you.
evokes not so fond memories…here’s something to look forward to…Hope… embodied
in Jesus. The Love that won’t ever…ever… use you, abuse you, cheat on you, or
leave you.
I am going to
dress up with my teammates and enjoy a fun filled Valentines Day with
them…because if it’s true love that is being celebrated…then I’m all for
gettin’ jiggy with it!
dress up with my teammates and enjoy a fun filled Valentines Day with
them…because if it’s true love that is being celebrated…then I’m all for
gettin’ jiggy with it!
So really I’m not a Valentines Day Scrooge…
I would like to call myself more of a “Show love the other
364 days, and V-day is just another day to experience God’s unconditional love�
advocate. =)
364 days, and V-day is just another day to experience God’s unconditional love�
advocate. =)
Agenda:Love,
Bethsaida
