Valentine's Day

Some people find Valentine’s Day hard and confronting for various reasons. Whether you like Valentine’s Day is neither right nor wrong. Despite my single seasons, I actually like Valentine’s Day. I have taken the opportunity of the day to celebrate my family. The year my mum passed away, I decided to buy my two sister’s a little gift to remind them:

• ·         They don’t need a guy to feel loved
• ·         That love still reigns over death

I’ve tried to continue the tradition and focus on my family each time Valentine’s Day rolls around. It may seem like a cop-out. I have my own pain that shadows the day from time to time. But, as a Christian, there is always hope. Instead of facing the day with bitterness and resentment, there is hope and love to appreciate and acknowledge those closest to me.

As Christian women, it becomes tough at times, to embrace the season of singleness and not let the status become your identity. With the secular, commercial world around us, it is very tempting and easy to believe that we are only valuable if we have a partner.

Whether it seems like a cop out or not, I encourage you to embrace the day in a positive way. It’s a great day to love on your family; friends; pastors and their families. There are many other relationships to invest in. Paul encouraged the Romans to, ‘love one another with brotherly affection’ (Romans 12:10). Here are some ideas:

• Take the opportunity to send a note or card to someone who has been a support to you
•   Have a pamper session with fellow girlfriends
•   Is there someone at church or in your neighbourhood in need? Offer a listening ear; a cooked meal; doing housework for them
•  And, though I haven’t done this one, I do like the idea: have a single’s dinner. The day doesn’t need to let you feel ashamed. Invite fellow single friends over for dinner and play ‘secret santa’ (except for Valentine’s Day, of course)

Above all, the day is a great reminder for the ultimate love in our lives. When I think of the unconditional, everlasting, never-breaking, awe-inspiring love of God, I remember these favourite verses of mine:

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

1 John 4:10 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 4:19 We love because He first loved us.