A Lenten Valentine

…Love is kind…1 Corinthians 13:4
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Happy Valentine’s day and Happy Ash Wednesday.  The two don’t really seem to go together but every so many years they both wind up smack dab on the same day!  When you think about it, Ash Wednesday is the first day of lent which is above all, a season of sacrifice offered to the Lord out of love so maybe it’s not such a surprising match up.

This is the first Valentine’s Day I won’t be receiving a stack of cute little cards and candies from a room full of students…that seems like an Ash Wednesday sacrifice for sure.  I was thinking about that today and I remembered a conversation with a first grader many years ago and it made me laugh.   One little boy asked me who ever came up with the idea of Valentines Day with the hearts and cards and mushy stuff in the first place.  I told him I’d share the whole story on Valentine’s Day but as a sneak preview to the lesson I told him the day was the feast day of St. Valentine. He smiled and said “I can’t wait to see what she was all about.” I smiled even bigger and said, “St. Valentine was a boy.”   His jaw dropped and he said, “No way a boy thought of all this, you gotta be kidding me!” I laughed out loud! 

Although I really enjoy February 14th, one thing about the holiday I don’t enjoy are the little candy hearts with messages.  My philosophy quite basically is; if it isn’t chocolate candy, it isn’t worth eating!  I saw bags and bags of these little treasures the other night and as I stood reading some of the messages, I had a thought. What if we read each of those candy messages and added the words “said God” at the end of each one?  I started laughing right in the center aisle of the store.  Not all of the messages worked, like the one that said UR HOT STUFF, Said God…but most of them worked!  When we are reminded in the New Testament letters to pray often and include God in all of our plans and love Him with our whole heart and soul, we sometimes have to think creatively.  I do think God reminds us often how much he cares for and loves us; we just don’t always see it.  If God is the author of love, who’s to say He can’t write a love note on a heart shaped lump of pastel colored sugar.  Here’s what He might be saying to you…BE MINE said God,  UR AMAZING said God,  UR SWEET said God, TRUE LOVE said God, XXOO said God or CRAZY 4U said God. 
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If you happen to come across some of these little holiday treats this Valentine’s Day, grab a few and see what message God might have for you.  For extra credit tell someone else to add the words to the messages they read.  Nobody ever said love couldn’t be silly and besides, those icky little candy hearts have now been given a purpose in my opinion!

A Seed To Plant: Take some time today to prayerfully ask God how He wants to help you feel and share His love this Lenten season.  And share this joke with everyone you talk to today. Q: Did Adam and Eve ever have a date? A:  Did Adam and Eve ever have a date? A:  No, they had an apple.
Blessings on your Day!