Men and women crowd around candle lit tables and whisper to each other their love and devotion. Sparkly trinkets glitter and boast from the necks, wrists, fingers and ears of each lady and truck loads of flowers are delivered into the open arms of love lit faces.
Is this the picture of you this Valentine's weekend or is you face a stone fortress begging for a battle, or a squinted eye blazing with jealousy or does the sun lack enough rays to dry your dew strewn face?
I will admit, I have been each of these things in turn and wonder today if there is More for our hearts to seek and find and dwell within.
A Lover who does not fail and who empowers us to be a selfless love-giver too.
Many a man (and woman) I know protest this holiday as consumerific and trite and yet this noble stance seems to fall from its lofty steed when we glimpse on the Creator of Love and how lavishly He continually refills our love-cups, even to overflowing.
So, when I am disappointed by a lack of effort... am I loving others first?
When I heap expectations on another... am I giving them the gift they would ask for?
When I withhold a word, a deed, a gift, to build my box of suds... am I honoring the architect of one flesh?
So this year, let us give love freely with out requiring a fee from those we cherish.
Let us give out of the abundance we have received from the true Giver.
May our children rejoice that they are known and loved and that their parents are known and loved whether or not pennies are pinched or spent by the pound.
My #1 received two batches of homemade granola and some yummy treats for work and my love bucket will wake up to heart shaped oatmeal bars.
My greatest gift was a three day weekend at home with the two greatest loves the Lord has blessed me with!
I love you Drew (and SJ too)!
2 comments:
So sweet! My gift to Cal this year: no presents, no stress, no pressure (and a heart shaped sandwich for lunch haha). Just a little I love you. Every time something could happened last week we both joked "this can be your valentine's day present" because we've just been talking about how we want to celebrate loving each other all the time! not that valentine's day is wrong or terrible but that we have been blessed with a great marriage and want to celebrate that always! I've definitely been in the "I wish those flowers were for me" camp, but I think I'm actually starting to enjoy just a little break from stress. Valentine's day has always been so stressful in the past and we have enough going on without adding some stress to prove our love for one another.
Another thought: I saw a post this week about for Valentine's Day buying "gifts" that are charitable kind of like we've tried to do at Christmas, except you don't actually get an object. I saw one about donating to an orphanage or something that your spouse is passionate about to show them you love them, you love the Lord, and you support what God's doing in their heart. Very cool idea!
Our hearts are with you, and we enter into your beautifully-expressed words.
much, much love to the three of you,
g'ma s
Post a Comment