Love First

It’s Valentine’s Day.  Today is loved by some, hated by others.  It’s known as S.A.D. (single awareness day) to some, the Hallmark holiday to others, and in some circles, it’s an extension of Desperation Day (in which people desperately search for a date to prove that they’re worth being with someone and someone worth being with – for at least one day).  So what’s the big deal?  Why does this one day of the year illicit such strong emotions – whether positive, negative, or adamantly apathetic? 

I actually find it quite comical to see how everyone responds.  What’s funny to me is how one calendar day can turn an entire nation on its head.  Now hear me: romance can be awesome.  I don’t mean to downplay that.  But I do wonder how much of this “love” is a game (much like the Super Bowl) on this particular day of the year.  There’s so much pressure surrounding today that this “day of love” can, for so many, turn into a day of stress, disappointment or loneliness, instead of a celebration of, well, Love.

This year I’m renaming and reclaiming this day.  I declare today “You are Loved Day.”   That’s right.  No more striving for someone’s affection (anyone’s affection) to prove that you’re worth it.  You ARE worth it.  God Himself thinks so, and so do I.  You ARE loved – today, and every day.   Why not celebrate that? 

I’ve been in relationships on V-Day and I’ve been single, and honestly, I’ve never felt more complete than I do this year:  where I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am loved by and completely, completely, complete in Him (Colossians 2:10) - not that other guy.  In fact, it’s because I am loved by Him that I can love that other guy (and my neighbor as myself).  We love, because God first loved us.  (1 John 4:19).

For anyone who has ever felt lonely, disappointed or like there was just something “missing” (whether you are in a relationship or not) today, I pray for a manifestation of Love Himself.  When the cheap perfume fades, the flowers wither, or the niceties wear off, know that there is a Love that does not fade and will not quit. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). 

Know that YOU ARE LOVED.