Who is Your Valentine?

It's everywhere! Hearts, candy, cards, flowers, romantic dates between lovers. I mean, love is everywhere! Or, is it?

What if the one you love forgot to say those all-important words? What if the one you love never bothered to surprise you on Valentine's Day with a romantic gift? What if the one you love never said sorry...for anything? Would you still love him or her?

What is love, anyway? Is it spending all your money on another person? Is it giving in to them all the time, just to keep them around? Is it a stay of mind? Remember that song, "Rhiannon"? A line from that song says, "Dreams unwind. Love's a state of mind." Is that true?

Here's one more question for you. Why does love and Valentine's Day have to be concentrated on boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives and romance? Ok, so I have one more question. :) Why can't Valentine's Day be about everybody we love?

I get so aggravated when someone asks my 6-year-old if she has a boyfriend! I mean, as if! Last week, said 6-year-old asked who her valentine would be this year. I'm like, your sister, me, your daddy. "Oh," she said, "so, it’s everyone we love, like family and friends?" Yep, sister, you got it.

So, in honor of Valentine's Day, love and just because I can't think of any better way to say it, here's what God's word has to say about it all. Take heed that you pay attention, because from what I see on FaceBook, a whole lot of folks got this love thing all wrong.

1 Corinthians 13
 1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
 4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
 8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
 9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
 10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
 11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
 12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Did y’all catch all that? It’s worth reading again, and again, and again, and... Charity, AKA love is an action word. It is not proud, it does not remember wrongs, it never fails.

Last, but not least, y’all, love is a choice. I choose to love by forgiving, even when my pride does not want to forgive. I choose to love by putting my loved ones’ needs, wants and feelings over myown.

I want to share two more verses from the Bible concerning love. John 15:12-13 also KJV. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

That chapter goes on to say that Jesus no longer calls us servants, but friends, and that we are His friends as long as we follow His commandments.

Think you don’t have a valentine to celebrate the day of love with? Jesus loved you enough to lay down His life for you. Sad because you don’t have that man or woman to make your life complete? Don’t be. ;) They are a lot of trouble, after all. Ha! But, when you do feel sad that you don’t have that guy or girl on Valentine’s Day, remember you can have a friend that will stick closer than a brother. His name is Jesus, and He loves you more than you can ever know.

So, happy Valentine’s Day, and remember the one who loves you the most.