Looking forward to Sharing some Love

It’s coming. We have known it’s been coming since about Christmas. They don’t let us get done with one holiday before the next one comes out. With Christmas being red and Valentines being red , often we miss the change. It’s nothing like the change from red to green- Valentines day to St Patrick’s Day.

Love- we all look forward to love. We look forward to having love, being loved and loving.  Maybe that’s why babies and puppies are so popular. They simply are love; and a few trips outside to potty for the puppy. Babies just look at us and it’s love. We cuddle, snuggle, pat, rock, caress, kiss the cheeks and love just oozes out of our hearts.  Puppies simply want to be loved. Pat me, pet me, feed me, walk me, play with me and then let me lay on your lap and sleep for awhile. Love seems so easy. Then we have people love. Some people are easy to love. Some people love to love others. Some people love being loved but are a bit difficult to love back; porcupine love we call it. The problems we have when looking forward to love is we often don’t quite know if someone is going to love us back. Babies and puppies are pretty much a guarantee. People; and yes babies are not people yet, are a bit more of a challenge.

There are certain ways that I interpret love. If you talk behind my back, attack my heart and the things that are important to me, don’t try to snuggle up and say I love you. If you can’t find time to spend with me, listen to what I say or give me credit for something I am doing, don’t tell me you love me. Love is an action word not a noun. Love means that I am important. Love says that my interests are above yours. Love means I get the piece of cake with the most frosting. (well that might be a stretch).

1 John is all about love. John is all about love. His gospel is about love, his three gospels were about love and his life was about love. But then again, he was Jesus BFF (Best friend forever for those of you who have no clue) When you spend time with the love giver, you must get a pretty good idea of what love is. He begins 1 John by describing Jesus as being what they have heard, seen, touched and then tells them he is writing this book so their joy may be full. Love and Joy seems to go hand in hand. And in verse 10 he hits the main artery: love your brother. He goes so far as to say that if we love our brother we can see. We are in the light. If we don’t love we are in darkness. I love the dark. But, what makes the dark beautiful is when a solitary light shines through and makes a beautiful shadow. Just a little bit of light or an incredible full moon, light just makes the picture brilliant. We see things with that little bit of light that were always there but the darkness hid them. Love does that. With love we see things that might have been there but were hidden. With a bit of love, children become confidant. With a little bit of love, friendships are born. With a little bit of love bridges are built and rivers crossed. With a bit of love, hearts are soothed and burdens lifted.

So I will continue my tradition this year of sending out a little bit of love. I know it has nothing to do with the history of Valentines Day, but it does accomplish what God told me to do and that is love. Love that 1 John 4:7  “Beloved let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone who loveth is born of God and knoweth God.”  I want to know God. I want to understand more and more of His word.. So, I need to love others. If Love is of God, and I love others, then I will know God. Sounds like a long way around the barn to get to the door, but if that’s what God wants, I will love. I have done this for many years: I sent the extended family Valentines. It’s fun, it’s got to be done early, like start now, but it’s fun. And then, I get a box of Valentines and hand them out randomly. McDonalds is an awesome place because you have alot of people just sitting around waiting for you to hand them a Valentine. Go to a deli at a Grocery store, or where old men gather and drink coffee.  Take a Valentine, hand it to them and let the rest just happen.

I was in Georgia many years ago driving back to my son’s college. I had about 25 Valentines to hand out and between KFC, McDonalds and a few gas stations I had quite a fun time. One place I stopped there were about 5 old men sitting at a table drinking coffee. That’s my target! Old men! I can imagine their discussion after I left but as I walked out I heard the laughing, the happiness, the smiles and yes you can hear smiles all because I went out of my way to encourage a loving gesture. I probably should have stood and paid for people’s coffee; but maybe next time. I want to know God; that means I have to love others. I need to plan ahead how to love but I also need to randomly love. We paid for someone’s stuff at the Dollar store when they didn’t have enough change. One time a gal in back of me had one thing and I had a ton. I told the cashier to ring it through on mine and let her go. The look on her face was priceless… And then she looked at me and said, “Don’t I know you?” Oh well..

So you have a couple weeks. Plan on being loving in a way that really challenges your heart to love.  And yes, we have to plan to love. Sometimes it does not come naturally…it takes planning and working at it. Sometimes it’s messy; babies do poop and puppies have accidents. Anything worth loving is worth some time, elbow grease and risk.

Go ahead; get a box of Valentines and go share some love. February 14- Looking forward to sharing some love.