Obviously I cannot be the writer of a blog entitled "Annals of a Christian Single" and not comment on Valentine's Day. That would simply be... wrong.
But before I go any further I want to clarify something:
I do not hate Valentine's Day--I don't think it is "Singles Awareness Day" or any such thing. I also dont get depressed and want to scream and cry the whole day. It was never a big deal in our family when I was growing up, so I grew up to not put much stock in it.
So this is not going to be a rant about the evils of this day, nor a lament because I am single on this day. It is simply the telling of my day.
I woke up this morning and while getting ready noticed a construction paper heart on the door of my cupboard. It said:
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
As I made my way through my morning routine, I came across other such hearts. One was on top of the container of muffins that have been my breakfast. This one said:
"So God created man in His own image" (Genesis 1:27).
Another heart showed up on my carton of cream reading:
"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds" (Psalm 36:5).
I opened the notebook I use to write thoughts from my devotions and found another heart.
"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9).
And lastly, I was putting my computer away and found another heart.
"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
My sister made me her Valentine. And by doing this she reminded me that I am also God's Valentine. Could there be a better start to the morning?
While in my first class I may or may not have had my computer open to Facebook when a message appeared on my wall from my two and a half year old nephew, asking me--via his mom--to be his Valentine today.
And then tonight I had some friends over. We watched a movie, ate some food, I drank tea from my Knightley mug, and we just visited. Another friend posted some Harry Potter valentine cards on my Facebook wall as well (nothing quite like Neville saying "I love your long bottom").
It was an amazing day. I felt loved, cherished, and treasured. I was reminded that there are people who love me, think about me, and value who I am.
I keep coming back to the verses my sister left for me. I think of how hard it was to remember that God loves me over the last few weeks. And then I realize that His love hasn't changed. That I am His Valentine, and not just today. He pursues me everyday, just like He pursued Israel. I was reading today in Numbers how He was still guiding His people as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He never stopped leading them; in fact, he never left them. It was they who forgot who He was.
And this is something I do too. God has not abandoned me. He loves me. He treasures me. He made me wired me to think the way that I do. He thinks I am beautiful.
Today God used my sister, my nephew, my sister-in-law, and my friends to remind me that I have not been forgotten.
Today I got to be His Valentine.
Such is the life of a Christian single.
But before I go any further I want to clarify something:
I do not hate Valentine's Day--I don't think it is "Singles Awareness Day" or any such thing. I also dont get depressed and want to scream and cry the whole day. It was never a big deal in our family when I was growing up, so I grew up to not put much stock in it.
So this is not going to be a rant about the evils of this day, nor a lament because I am single on this day. It is simply the telling of my day.
I woke up this morning and while getting ready noticed a construction paper heart on the door of my cupboard. It said:
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
As I made my way through my morning routine, I came across other such hearts. One was on top of the container of muffins that have been my breakfast. This one said:
"So God created man in His own image" (Genesis 1:27).
Another heart showed up on my carton of cream reading:
"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds" (Psalm 36:5).
I opened the notebook I use to write thoughts from my devotions and found another heart.
"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9).
And lastly, I was putting my computer away and found another heart.
"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
My sister made me her Valentine. And by doing this she reminded me that I am also God's Valentine. Could there be a better start to the morning?
While in my first class I may or may not have had my computer open to Facebook when a message appeared on my wall from my two and a half year old nephew, asking me--via his mom--to be his Valentine today.
And then tonight I had some friends over. We watched a movie, ate some food, I drank tea from my Knightley mug, and we just visited. Another friend posted some Harry Potter valentine cards on my Facebook wall as well (nothing quite like Neville saying "I love your long bottom").
It was an amazing day. I felt loved, cherished, and treasured. I was reminded that there are people who love me, think about me, and value who I am.
I keep coming back to the verses my sister left for me. I think of how hard it was to remember that God loves me over the last few weeks. And then I realize that His love hasn't changed. That I am His Valentine, and not just today. He pursues me everyday, just like He pursued Israel. I was reading today in Numbers how He was still guiding His people as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He never stopped leading them; in fact, he never left them. It was they who forgot who He was.
And this is something I do too. God has not abandoned me. He loves me. He treasures me. He made me wired me to think the way that I do. He thinks I am beautiful.
Today God used my sister, my nephew, my sister-in-law, and my friends to remind me that I have not been forgotten.
Today I got to be His Valentine.
Such is the life of a Christian single.
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