Feeling the Love

Ahh, Valentines Day. Love is in the air! Or...not. It's easy to find reasons not to love Valentine’s Day. Single people don’t like being reminded of their relationship status. Couples are frustrated by overpriced gifts and perhaps their partner’s unrealistic expectations for the day. Kids get hyped up on sugar and lose their, shall we say, natural sweetness.

For a long time, I was pretty ambivalent about it as well. Sure, it was nice to get candy and cards, but the romantic side of things always felt a little forced. Are you giving me gifts because you want to show your love for me, or because you’re expected to because Hallmark says so? Now, as a parent of two kids with food allergies, there’s the added stress of having to sort through the candy in their treat boxes and toss what’s not safe for them to eat.

But this year I decided that I would broaden the kind of love I celebrate on Valentine’s Day. You see, as a long time Greek geek, I’m can tell you that Biblical Greek has three different words for love: philos--friendship love, eros--romantic love, and agape--self-giving love. I don’t see why the holiday can’t celebrate all these kinds of love.

Culturally, Valentine’s Day is for lovers, but this year, I say we make it about loving one another--as spouses, as parents, and as beloved children of God.

I teach upper elementary Sunday School at Immanuel Zion, and our lesson this week served as a perfect complement to my V-Day love revolution. The theme was "You are the light of the world." After the Bible lesson, the kids read a story about a girl whose recycling suggestion impacted her entire school (and the planet) for the better. Because of her courage to speak up and act on her beliefs, she sparked a major change.

As we discussed how each of us can make a difference in the world, one boy pointed to the candle I had brought, which happened to have 3 wicks, and shouted, "Those two are joining together!" He had noticed that as the wax pooled between two of the wicks, the flames joined together and burned more brightly.

I love it when the kids make the points of the lesson for me! Together, we shine brighter--whether it’s in a marriage, in the acts of love we do for our kids, or in the ways we support and share laughter with our friends. If you don’t have a significant other, that doesn’t mean Valentine’s isn’t for you. There are plenty of ways to show love that don’t involve flowers, candy, or wine. No matter what, though, it should involve chocolate!

If you’re less than excited about the upcoming holiday, try to find an unconventional way to show agape love for someone, like paying for a stranger’s coffee or doing a chore another family member dislikes. You might just find yourself feeling the love on Valentine’s Day after all.

Love to you all!

~Alison

Do you love our beautiful pics? Check out J. Jill Photography!