bah humbug....

Ok. I decided I should probably do my Valentine's Day 'bah humbug!' post today, so it doesn't spoil anyone else's actual Valentine's Day...or, to put it in a more positive vein, so that it may cause us to really THINK about the day before it actually arrives.

Please don't throw things at me or send me nasty comments, but I really do NOT like Valentine's Day. I never have. I'm just being honest here. To me, it is merely a Hallmark holiday--one created as a money-maker for the card, gift, and flower industries. And a "holiday" which creates--or at the least 'intensifies'-- dissatisfaction, aloneness, and relationship troubles.

I mean, really. Let's consider the scenario of many a Valentine's Day...

Men know they had BETTER get their wife/girlfriend/love-of-their-life a gift of some sort to show how much they love said loved one. If they forget, or if the gift is not just right, they are in some serious trouble, and may even be sleeping with Fido in the doghouse...

And the loved one... she has expectations of above-mentioned gift/card/dinner/flowers as a demonstration of the depth of his love! If he forgets, or if the gift is not just right, she experiences a range of emotions anywhere from a bit sad and morose to ready to divorce/break up with/take a frying pan to the no-good, unappreciative, thoughtless lout!

It's a set-up for disaster, if you ask me. And, I didn't yet mention those who are like me--single. In a society centered around couples and families, and on a holiday that is focused on romance and love and that one special relationship, the single person cannot help but feel not-quite-good-enough, forgotten, left out, lonely, incomplete, or just plain unloved. Hmmm. Somehow, the "holiday" doesn't seem like a day of flowers and sunshine and hearts, but instead, one which emphasizes one's singleness.

So, what to do about Valentine's Day?

Well, as for me, I am fortunate. I have a darling mother who never forgets me on Valentine's Day. I think she is even more conscientious about the day since I am single. She never misses a year of sending me her love with a card or a package, and I adore her for it. That's love. Years of always making sure I know I'm thought of and loved...and from many miles away, at that.

Some years I pull myself out of the Valentine's Humbug by sending cards to my friends. Or by making cookies or other treats for them. Some years I just can't "get there" and try to ignore the day altogether. Some years are a mix of the two--a bit of melancholy feelings counterbalanced by the wearing of pink and red to at least acknowledge the day.

I don't mean to sound like Oscar the Grouch. I do, however, want to encourage us to be mindful of what it is to truly love others as the Bible says "...according to their needs." It's not about ONE day of showing how much we love others. And, what is done or not done on that ONE day is not the indication that we love or are loved. It's not about flowers or gifts or Hallmark card moments--it's about the every day living a life of love with those in our lives. With our friends. With our family. With that one special person. And with each person with whom we come in contact--loveable or unloveable. We need to show them and tell them every day, every moment, in every word, and in every action, that we love them...that they are well and truly loved. Because that's how God loves us.

Yes, I know. It's a tall order. It's a tough command. But, it's what our Lord calls us to. Not one day of showing love--getting the right gift or sending the right card--but a daily walking in kindness and love and generosity, a putting the needs of others before our own.

That's love.
That's what Jesus did for us.

How about we commit to making every day a Valetine's day?

...for a great post on Valentine's Day from a man's perspective, take a moment or two to read Travis' Valentine's Day post from last year. I think it was very insightful, and I really appreciated what he had to say...