If one were to accuse me of being a Valentine's Day Grinch, there would be no shortage of evidence from past February 14ths to convict me. I spent much of my life wondering why there was a holiday devoted to the sole purpose of reminding me that I'm all alone and have no one to send me flowers.
This year is different and I love it.
No, I haven't "found a man", but I would say that in a way, I did "find love." It happened in December as I was watching an insanely cheesy holiday romcom and I realized that the story told throughout chick flicks is actually our story. The feelings that are stirred up in us when we think about romance, rather than being unrealistic or silly as I had always been taught, are actually inklings of what is truly to come. It is not that they are unrealistic, it is simply a matter of the timing being further out than 13-year-old me may have thought.
So this year, I've embraced it. It makes me feel warm inside to see men carrying bouquets home to their significant others. I love that everyone is making their declarations of love on Instagram because marriage is a beautiful thing and worthy of being celebrated. My heart warmed this afternoon as I looked in the mail slot and saw a Valentine addressed to me from one of my favorite two-year-olds.
I know it can feel tough for all of us. But sometimes these hard times can point us to something bigger and something deeper.
In this the love of God was made manifest amount us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
(I also just want to let you know, in case you're worried about me publishing a blog post on a Valentine's Friday night, that I am minutes away from heading out the door to see friends. My non-existent cats which I would be allergic to anyway are going to have to wait for another night.)
