Valentines Day, a day of love. A day in which we spend money on things we would normally never even think to spend money on, $12 for a single rose, $50 on chocolates….for what?…so someone “knows” you love them. I’m not trying to put down the holiday, i personally had a valentine who gave me the best Valentines Day ever. But when i really began to think about it, i realized it would of been wonderful had he not bought me the things he did, or brought me to the amazing restaurant that he had. And i “know” he loves me every day of the year. And he shows me that. But i realized last night (we had to do it a day early) that as we walked around ATL because the first part of the plans for the evening had “fallen through”, i was loving the time i spent just holding his hand. Just being with him. Just being away from all the stress of work, and life. It was him and i and the city streets. My heart swelled with happiness of just being together, i didn’t have to have some extravagant display.
I just thought in my time with David, as we looked at each other across the table last night and began to speak about what God was doing in us and how we saw Him working in each others lives and the things we admired and loved about each other, i thought why don’t we do this more often! It took a day on the calendar for us to speak what was in our hearts. And then i thought, why am I only telling him?…shouldn’t i be telling everyone, i mean everyone, in some way, how much i love them. Isn’t this my job?…is this not my purpose in life. Does not every single person deserve a Valentines day…every day of the year. Someone to tell them they are loved, and admired. That being with them means so much, they mean so much.
This morning we went to Atlanta to do a outreach in a park where alot of homeless gather. We had made sandwiches and valentine cookies that were in bags with little valentine cards. No real money spent, just the essentials. We set up on a wall over looking tables where men had gathered to play chess. As we began to pass out the sandwhiches and goodies, i felt that swelling in my heart of happiness. I was able to in some way tell them they were loved. They were special, and i wanted to be their valentine, the one who took time out to show them they mattered. A couple times, when looking someone in the eye and giving them a sandwhich and saying Happy Valentines Day, the smile that lit up their face was beautiful, and my heart was over whelmed. Thats all they wanted.To feel cared about. As humans we are about relationships. We are about eachother. Love is so easy to give. There were a couple small girls there, and one of them ran up to me and threw up her arms with a big smile. She just wanted me to pick her up and hug her. She just wanted to be noticed and loved.
People are starving for it. People are starving for love. As Mother Teresa said, the greatest crime to see, is someone neglected and lonely. We were ment to be loved, we were built for it. We have the capasity to love and be loved. I know i ate up every word David gave me, i cherished the time i had when he held me hand. I know i eat up the time with God, when speaks to my heart, and tells me how He loves me. And i cherish His presence. I want others to know this feeling. To know that they can have a valentine 365 days a year. Should we not all strive to be someones Valentine every day?
“We are called to love the world. And God loved the world so much that he gave Jesus. Today He loves the world so much that He gives you and me to be His love, His compassion, and His presence, through a life of prayer, of sacrifice, of surrendure to God.The response that God asks of you is to be a contemplative.”
Mother Teresa
