For the love of ... Valentine's Day?

Personally, I don't do Valentine's Day. I have nothing against love and romance, but to me, it is just another excuse for businesses to get people to spend their money. So it never bothered me that I never had a 'date' for Valentine's Day, or someone to send me chocolates and flowers. Thankfully, God has blessed me with friends who don't need the occasion of Valentine's Day to give me flowers and chocolates. It meant so much more to me to know that these gifts were given out of a genuine desire to demonstrate love, rather than because it is the day society has chosen to celebrate love.

Flowers from my friend :)

However, I am aware that there are many who do not feel this way. There are many who feel lonely and a have a low feeling of self worth when February 14th comes around and they don't have that special someone to share it with. They wonder what they have done wrong, and whether they will ever be in a relationship. And while they know that God is the true definition of love, there is still that longing for a physical demonstration of love.

Instead of spending the day scrolling through facebook and feeling more depressed with each Valentine-related post or picture shared, consider doing something drastically different for a change. What if, instead of longing for someone to share romantic love with, we look for ways that we can share love with others. Here are some suggestions:

• Make a list of people you love, and call or message them to let them know how you feel about them. Don't wait until someone dies to think about the impact they have made on your life.
• Organise a lime with your single friends. You don't have to go out to dinner - you can meet up at someone's house and spend the evening enjoying one another's company.
• Offer to babysit so your friend can go out for some well deserved one-on-one time with their spouse
• Visit an elderly neighbour or someone who is sick and remind them of their worth and value 
• If you don't live with your parents and they are around, spend some time with them

You get the idea. Shift the focus off of yourself, and seek out people that you could be a blessing to.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12