I want to state emphatically
for the record that I love Valentine’s Day and participate in it fully.
I have joyfully and
romantically given gifts, flowers, and cards to Cathy on Valentine’s Day since
1981.
Many years ago when my
children were little, I started the tradition of making Valentine’s Day cards
and giving them to them along with candy.
As years passed, this
morphed into something that Cathy and I do together for our children, their
spouses, and our grandchildren.
I say that because
some of you, after reading this blog (or its title), might assume that I’m kind
of a Scrooge when it comes to Valentine Day. I’m not, I am a hopeless
romantic and I believe in love.
It’s easy to make or
send a card or flowers or candy on Valentine’s Day. After all, people are open
to giving and receiving love on this day.
This ritual is
participated in by single and married people; young and old alike.
But there are other
days of the year besides February 14 on which we are called to love one
another. In fact I sometimes question if cards and flowers and candy has the
same meaning given on February 14th as they would have on any of the
other 364 days of the year.
I further ponder if the
giving of cards, flowers, and gifts wouldn’t potentially have a greater impact
of they were given throughout the year (excluding birthdays and holidays where
sometimes we may feel obligated to give).
You may be wondering
where my “cynicism” to giving on Valentine’s Day comes from…
Although it may come
across that way, it’s really not cynicism; I am just pondering…as I look at a
dozen roses in a vase on our counter. Roses that were given as a token of my
love for my wife with no reason or mixed motivation. I simply wanted to give
her flowers.
Next to the vase is a
note that Cathy left for me that was written on a scrap of paper as she headed
out to work before I woke up.
When I did arise I
also saw that there was a voice message to me from Cathy explaining that she
was almost was in an accident.
While driving to work
on the freeway, her pickup truck spun out and slid to within five inches from
slamming into a guardrail. On the other side of the guardrail was an embankment
that went down a ways to another freeway.
She was a little shook
up and was waiting for a tow truck to arrive and pull her out of the snowbank.
There was no damage to the truck and she (and I) were very grateful.
I realized (without
sounding over dramatic) her note to me and the (tender) words we said as we
fell asleep the night before may have been the last expression of our love to
each other. I may frame the note.
So, that is why I am
exhorting you and myself to “vacate” Valentine’s Day…or at least let’s work on
sending notes, cards, flowers, etc. more often throughout the year.
Loving one another is one of the key components to Christianity. The Bible
is full of verses exhorting, commanding, and encouraging us to love one
another. Here are a few of them:
“You
shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your
people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” Leviticus
19:18
“A
new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you,
that you also love one another.” John 13:34
“Owe
no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has
fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8
“Let
all that you do be done with love.” I Corinthians 16:14
“Finally,
all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers,
be tenderhearted, be courteous;” I Peter 3:8
“And
above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a
multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8
“For
this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one
another,”
“My
little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in
truth.” I John 3:18
“No
one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His
love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in
us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” 1 John 4:12-13
“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
If Valentine’s Day is the only day that you show or express
love; well, I suppose that is a start.
But I want to encourage you to be the change in this world
that you are hoping to see. Be a person who for the next week or month or year
DAILY looks for opportunities to let people know that you love them.
“Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of
the least of My brethren, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40
That will make the world a much better place to be in.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13
Happy Valentine’s Day from me
All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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