Rev. Stephen Snodgrass
Expressing Our Love
I have always felt that Valentine's Day was a special day. Now before you are tempted to type me a condemning email as to its origin and its doctrinal flaws, let me say that this statement come from a pure human standpoint. I believe that one of the greatest needs in a marriage relationship is communication and Valentine's Day is just another occasion to express our affection one for another. Let me tell you that we do not express our feeling to each other as often as we should. I will never forget the standing by my wife's hospital bed, watching the life-support machine do its job and thinking..."if I could just tell her that I love her one more time..."
The nurses told me that she could hear me and I spent many hours expressing my love and devotion to her as she lay there in a sub-conscience state. Those were precious moments! But I'm also thankful that I did not wait till then to express my appreciation and affection to her.
Today, I find myself away from home and not able to be with my valentine on Valentine's Day. In fact, I'm sitting in a Starbucks Cafe, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with people that I don't even know, listening to them talk about where they are going to take there sweet somebody on Monday. Knowing that I was alone this weekend, Pastor Ken Adamson of Westlake, Louisiana invited me to the Valentine Banquet at their church. I appreciated the offer, but without my wife....I just couldn't do it.
I think that this is also a time to reflect on our Saviour's love for us. There is no other scripture in the word of God that tells His love story like John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave is His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Recently someone sent me an email with this scripture in an acrostic format with the word valentine highlighted throughout. I will not do that here, but you might be able to put it together on a piece of paper yourself.
I'm thankful for His love. I'm thankful for His mercy and grace. I'm thankful that through His example I can love my family and fellow man. I know, as a Christian we are not to get caught up in the secular holidays and forget the foundations of reason, but I choose to take this opportunity to tell my wife that I love her. (Even though we are miles apart!) I will call my daughters, Katelyn, Tara and Madelyn and tell them that I love them. But before I pillow my head for the night, I will one more time, affirm my love to my Saviour. He loved me when I was unlovable. It still amazes me...!
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