February 13, 2008

Love Is in the Air! 
Who Said?

Terrible as it may sound, I must be honest.  I’m not “feelin’ the love” this Valentines.  It’s not that my husband and I are in any marital crisis (unless you consider having a two-year old in your bed every night a marital crisis), nor are we at odds with one another.  No, It’s just that we are simply pooped!

Not only have we been remodeling a house for 2 months, all four of our kids caught the “crud.” We were home-bound for 2 solid weeks!  (By the way, there are some great re-runs on Channel 52).  I’ve been staying up way too late since the quarantine trying to catch up at home and at the new (old) house.  I now have a new appreciation for tile layers!  My body hurts from the tips of my fingers to the nails on my toes! 

Needless to say, I haven’t been thinking much about Valentines.  Just to tell you how behind I am, I had to run to the convenience store at 11:00 tonight to get candy for my kids Valentines boxes.  I’m hopeless!!

Yes, we are hopeless and helpless to show love at Valentines, much less any other time of the year without the intervention of the originator of love.  I John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.”  I am incapable of loving were it not for my Father loving me first.  He is the source of love. 

If you are having a hard time “feelin’ the love” this Valentines day, let God love through you.  According to 1 Corinthians 13, love is not so much an action as it is an attitude.  The Message translation describes it so clearly.  Only God can help us love like this.

Love never gives up
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t’ keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure I the flowering of the truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end. 

God of Love, consume me.  I want to love like this.  I can’t do it on my own.  Thank you for showing me what real love is.  Help me imitate Your love to those around me. Oh, and Happy Valentines Day . . . the lover of my soul.  Amen

-Laurie