But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23 (English Standard Version)
This week, our children will be celebrating Valentine's Day with their classmates (in some form). My husband and I have a couple of little gifts for our children, too. Valentine's Day has never been one of my favorites, but I can possibly understand the positives of the sentiments. When I was in elementary school, my class would always have some sort of party where we put little cards in each other's Valentine's mailboxes (mine was usually a shoe box covered with construction paper) and ate sugary sweets like cookies and cupcakes. It was fun to open the cards, but it was more fun to pick out just the right card (the ones that came in 32 packs) for each classmate. If it was a really good friend, I would be sure to pick out a good one, like "You're out of this world, Valentine". If it was for a child that got on my nerves, I just tried to give them the simplest card "Happy v-day". The teacher always got the special teacher card, the one that was bigger than all of the rest and said "Dear Teacher, you're one of a kind", or something like that.
While I was a full-time stay at home mother, I wanted to do something a little more special for my kids' valentines cards. I scoured the Internet to get ideas. Once, we gave Star Wars-themed cards with thin glow sticks as light sabers. Another time, we found several cheesy jokes to include with the candy, like "What did the volcano say to its sweetheart? I lava you!" Most of the time, though, we just let the kids pick out the boxes of character cards they want to give out, and find some candy or other inexpensive treat to go along with the cards. Whatever way we chose, my kids love giving things out, and receiving cards and treats from their friends.
Although love is celebrated on special days of the year, like Valentine's and wedding anniversaries, those are not the only days we should let others know that they are loved by you. It doesn't take a colorful greeting card or box of gourmet chocolates to know that you are loved by someone. You do not have to be in a romantic relationship or have little kids around you to know that you are loved by someone. Know that you are loved by the LORD, always. HE does not love your sin, though. HE wants your love back, but HE will not make you love Him back. You must choose to be obedient to Him, not your own desires. You must want to love God, and then you can really love others. Know that God will always love you, for His love is steadfast and new everyday.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23 (English Standard Version)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.38 This is the great and first commandment.39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:34-40 (ESV)
