Friday, February 15, 2013

As I am typing this, there are ten minutes left till the most 'romantic day of the year' winds down to a close for another 364 days.  Today, against my will I might add, I battled the ridiculous lines at the grocery store, wedged between two baskets filled with all the usual valentin'ey' things.  You know, delectable and intricately decorated chocolate covered strawberries, heaping vases filled with roses of every color, a box of chocolates, and yes, the occasional 'I Heart You' balloon, towering above someone who looks as though they just want to dash to their car in total anonymity as quickly and quietly as possible.  Me?  I've got none of that in my cart.  Instead, I've got toilet paper, cat food, milk, cereal, sliced turkey (for my 10 year-old's lunch because she cannot stand another day of buying lunch at school--ever so dramatic :), the myriad of ingrediants to make potato soup (for my sister who is under the weather),and medicine for my four year-old who is also in the cart with red eyes, a runny nose, and a cough that has other shoppers keeping their safe distance from the possibly contaminated child.  And as I am wedged in this line of romantic shoppers, I am silently scolding myself for procrastinating yet again, thus putting myself in this predictament to begin with.  Only me to blame--sigh. 

Tyler and I make it through my grocery store trip, and as I am driving home I  think about today--and all of those people who may not have a certain someone in their life to do Valentin'ey' things with.  My mom approached this subject last week in her "Happy Early Valentine's Day" post, and I thought I might expound on that for just one more time.  I know a lot of readers are in happy marriages with supportive spouses which is an amazing and wonderful blessing.  But, I also know that there are many of you who have had to battle through the toughest times of your life alone. A good friend of mine who is now in remission, was battling non-hodgkins lymphona a couple of years ago--not alone, but single.  My mom has a close friend who battled breast cancer--not alone, but single.  And my mom has battled most of the hardships in her life--not alone, but single.  I want to emphasize not alone, because we are never alone.  We have family, friends, and even when those are few and far between we have God.  But sometimes, no matter who we have in our life, we just feel a-l-o-n-e.

I was reading in my Daily Word this morning the devotion dedicated to Valentine's Day.  And I would like to share it with you all:

"Today is Valentine's Day, but every day can be a day of love, and every day I can choose to be loving.  The more love I give, the more love I get.  So today, I begin a love cascade.  I close my eyes, connect with Spirit and focus on all I am grateful for--from the tiniest blessing to the biggest.  I feel gratitude and love grow in my heart.  As I allow the spirit of God to express through me in loving ways, I feel love grow.  I smile at a stranger, open the door for someone I meet, run an errand for a neighbor and say a kind and caring word to a friend.  As I continuously give love, love is returned to me beyond measure.  "Let love be genuine;...hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.-Romans 12:9-10. 

So many times, we get hung up on the chocolates, the roses, the  balloons, or lack thereof.  And we (myself included) forget about all those languages of love that don't cost us a dime.  Love doesn't need to celebrated one day out of the year.  Love, love for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, love for one another as family, friends, and neighbors needs to happen 365 days a year.  And I know I tend to forget that.  Tend to get mired down in things that really don't matter.  So I was greatful for today's message in the Daily Word.  And hope that maybe it helped some of you to have a better day too.

Hoping that all of you feel the love of Christ today and always.  We are here for you if you need to talk or someone to pray with.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Hugs,
Casey

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