Thursday, February 11, 2010

Roses, Chocolates, and Valentine Cards

This time of year takes me down memory lane to hand made Valentines cards - doilies were key to most of my endeavors along with red and white construction paper and crayons. Occasionally I would be quite artistic - really stretch as an artist and use light pink paper, white doilies and a magenta crayon. I would also address a little Valentine card for each member of my class and place them in the individually hand decorated white lunch bags at the back of the classroom.

Each year my father bought my mother a card and chocolates, he bought me a card and a box of Red Hots. (I'm allergic to chocolate, but eat it anyway.)

I looked forward to the little hearts stamped with Be Mine, etc. I loved the way the hearts looked but didn't really care for the taste.

As I grew older, I expected the flame of the moment to buy me a card and maybe spring for a meal at the Pizza Hut or Sonic. I met my husband in 1981, I had higher expectations by then jewelry was nice as were roses and a nice meal.

The day is supposed to be all about love, but as a Christian I am to live each day walking in love. The love represented by Valentine's Day is not the kind of love God is talking about. I wonder how non believers’ lives would be impacted by our loving them the way Jesus does? No condemnation, no reproach, no hypocrisy, no self righteousness, no hint of a Pharisee in sight. Many times we say the Word but our actions are quite the opposite. Non believers notice.

My endeavor in 2010 is to live out God’s Word and that means living in love.
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. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

4 comments:

Cheryl Barker said...

Your memories of Valentine's Day sound much like mine. I go back just a bit further -- we decorated shoe boxes at school for our valentines. Have a great weekend!

luvmy4sons said...

I remember decorating shoe boxes! Oh to love as 1 Corinthians 13 would have us love! That takes the super natural power of His spirit within us!

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Yolanda said...

Lots of wisdom here in your writing and pouring from your heart.

Happy Valentine's Day with love,
Yolanda