Hallmark and Ghirardelli

I brought a  dozen red roses home last night. I paid twice what they are worth. I bought a folded, decorated piece of paper that cost several dollars, too. A few years ago I bought a Valentine's card (just for fun) that measured 16 by 24 inches!   The picture of the rose printed on the front was enormous. When Bev opened it, she exclaimed, "What am I supposed to do with this?"   It was a priceless moment when her surprise overcame her 'niceness.'   

Some might call me a fool but for me Valentine’s Day is another reason to celebrate the gift God gave to me in Bev, my wife of 37 years!   Is my expression clichéd?  Yes and it is matched by more significant love that involves truly caring for her. The cards and flowers would be meaningless if I failed to match them with self-sacrificial fidelity.

On this day of red hearts, chocolates, and flowers, there will be plenty of faux love spread around. Some gifts will be bought to make an impression. Others will come with strings attached. Others will be dutiful, offered to meet expectations.

So, what does real love look like?  The Bible says that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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, NIV)  Living that kind of love demands an infusion of Divine Love, which we can receive from God, through Christ Jesus. Yes, "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. … We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:10, 19, NLT)

Love comes from God and flows from us even to those who are unlovely.  Jesus, in one of his talks on love, includes this: "God gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that." (Matthew 5:45-47, The Message)

I hope you're able to celebrate Valentine's Day.  And you can, even if you're not romantically tied to anyone.   

Love, like Christ loved you!   It will change your world;  yes, that love will come back to change you!
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