Roses. Chocolates. Teddy bears. It’s that time of year when love is in the air and you can just feel it everywhere!
But let’s face it. Sometimes, we find ourselves resenting this day if we haven’t met the man of our dreams yet or if we just feel pressure to spend a lot of money and keep up with the latest on social media.
Today I would like to see each of you set free from such resentment or pressure. The spirit of Valentine’s Day is about expressing love to the one(s) you care about and there is neither the perfect way to do it nor do you have to do it only on February 14th.
Following are some examples of what showing loving has looked like for me over the years with those near and dear to my heart:
My husband – This year, we attended a marriage conference. That’s right. You read it correctly. We’ve made this covenant for life and so, we want to invest in it regularly. By setting aside the time just for the two of us to hear speakers share what a godly marriage looks like has really reinvigorated our love for one another. We also made time to have a quiet dinner together. Yes, it’s nice to go out, but there have been years when we did so at home and it was just as special because we had quality time together.
My kids – Our (not so) little people need to know that they are loved, too! Sure, we shower them with hugs and kisses and tell them bedtime stories. But we can make this a fun day for them, too. I enjoy decorating my house and one of the simplest things I began doing years ago was setting up a scavenger hunt for them. I placed paper hearts all over the house and it was so much fun to hear their tiny feet scramble up and down the house to find each one and finally, collect a prize :) What’s really sweet is that they look forward to it each year (even though two are teenagers!), so I have been challenged to up my game and make it more complex. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ideas out there to get your juices flowing to help you if you need, but not to overwhelm you.
My friends – One of the funniest sitcoms I’ve enjoyed watching over the years introduced me to “Galentine’s Day”. Girlfriends met together for a meal and thoughtful gifts were given in appreciation of their friendship. This has inspired me to give some candy with a note that says what I love about my friends or what I am grateful for about them. You can get as creative as you like, but be mindful that it’s the thought that counts, so don’t stress yourself out.
Whatever you do or whoever you show some love to, remember Jesus’ words in John 15:12: “Love each another as I have loved you”.
~Joyce
