What's Your Valentine Color?

There are many colors that represent Valentine's Day besides red, especially if you go by the ever popular Conversation Hearts. Pinks, purples, yellows, oranges, greens and whites rattle around in containers from fancy crystal candy dishes to pink cardboard boxes this time of year.

Then there are the chocolates:

Milk chocolate

Dark chocolate

White chocolate

Yes, many colors, but I was only interested in one — red. 

I had a few minutes to spare on my way to work this morning so I made a quick stop to pick up a Valentine's Day card and a bow for my husband's gift.  I passed on the pinks and whites and began looking through the different shades of red. Then I saw the perfect color, a dark red. As I wiggled it off the metal rack I thought to myself,  Yes, that's the one I want, blood red.

It took less than a nanosecond before the words formed 
in mind invaded my Spirit . . . blood red.

Blood red.

Jesus, God's only son, loved us so much that He shed His blood for us.

Pure love poured out.

More love than all the Valentine Days past, present and future could hold.

Rev. 1:5, 6 says "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood. . . to Him be the glory . . ." (ESV).

I bought the blood red bow, attached it to my love gift to my husband, but my display of love is nothing like the love Jesus has for us.

What's my Valentine color? Red, blood red.

Thank you Jesus for your love . . . 
your EVERLASTING love.

photos courtesy of morguefile.com

Gift of Love

Birthdays.

One a year.

When one is over, we look forward to the next one.

We don’t even entertain the idea that we won’t have another birthday because they always come, one after another.

My heart was full after receiving a visit from a special lady in my life. She had her son drive her to my office to bring me a gift, one she'd taken great care to pick out for me. 

As I leaned into the car window to give her a hug of thanks, I had to hold back the tears that wanted to puddle in my eyes like the mist began to puddle on the window sill of her son’s car.  

Below the stocking cap on her head, her eyes were dancing as she talked about the lunch plans she and her son had made. After another quick hug through the car window I held my gift to my chest and walked back into my office as they drove off towards the restaurant. 

I pulled the tissue out of the top of the festive bag until the buried gift was exposed. Cards . . . two boxes. One box contained Thinking of You cards and one box contained Praying for You cards. 

Why cards? Because for months I have been sending cards to her to encourage her as she again endures chemo and radiation treatments for the cancer that's returned to cause havoc to her body.

The tears welled up in my eyes again and this time, in the privacy of my office, I could let them fall down my cheeks as my heart asked "What does she think about birthdays?"

Birthdays.

One a year.

When one is over, we look forward to the next one.

We don’t even entertain the idea that we won’t have another birthday because they always come, one after another . . .

But wait, it seems some would have every reason to entertain the idea of whether or not another birthday would follow next year.

As I think back on the special moments I've had celebrating my recent birthday, my thoughts go back to my friend. Her sweet gesture speaks volumes to me as I focus not on the days ahead of me, but on today and what I can do for someone else. She uses each day, not to dwell on the time she may or may not have left, the birthdays she may or may not celebrate in the future, but what she can do that day to love and encourage someone else.

I John 4:12 says "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us (ESV)." 


I haven't see God but I have seen His love--it was His perfect love, being shown in an imperfect broken body of this dear one. A love that was as beautiful as she.

Birthdays.

One a year.

When one is over, we look forward to the next one . . . well maybe not. 

From now on I want to look at each day, one day after the other, and ask God to give me ways to show His love to another person. . . someone who needs to see HIM. 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love 

one another: just as I have loved you, 

you also are to love one another" 

(John 13:34 ESV).

photos courtesy of morguefile.com