Last week my teen daughter and I sat down and watched the movie Valentine's Day. The gist ~ A Romantic Comedy about flowers, engagement rings, dates with champagne and of course....happily ever after. This was an odd sort of story in that, not all of the couples ended up happy.
When the movie was over, my daughter and I just sat silent on the couch. I turned to her and said, "sometimes I hate Valentine's Day."
She looked at me quizzically.
"For so many women, this holiday, only punctuates the pain that they are unloved, unmarried, unhappy, and forgotten."
"I know, Mom. I have felt that way."
I jumped from the couch and wrapped my arms around my teenager, who wants to think she is all grown up, who is four inches taller than me, but at this moment is still just a little girl with a vulnerable heart.
Aren't we all, just a girl with a vulnerable heart?
So on this day, if you are one of those who won't receive a valentine, if you are left out when the flowers arrive at the office for all the girls but you, and if you are bereft and feeling utterly unlovable, I want to share a secret with you.
You are a seven cow woman.
If you aren't familiar with this story, here is the short version:
A man in Africa fancied a young woman in the tribe. She was an ordinary woman of no significance or beauty. The young man approached her father, the chief, and requested his daughter's hand in marriage. The Chief agreed and then expected the standard dowry of one cow for his daughter. She obviously wasn't worth more than a single cow and he would be glad to have her married.
The village women gathered at the well to discuss the dowry's that are paid. The cow number was often a bragging point among them.
The Chief told the young man one cow. They young man responded, "I will pay nothing less than seven cows for your daughter."
The stunned Chief accepted and a wedding date was set.
Several months passed as the wedding arrangements were made. On the day of the wedding the young man arrived to meet his bride. And there before him stood the most beautiful, graceful and stunning woman he ever laid eyes upon.
He knew it was his beautiful bride. She had become the seven cow wife he always knew that she was.
-----
Today, amid the red hearts and boxes of candy, today when the roses arrive and you are left feeling forgotten, I want you to remember this story.
You are a seven cow woman.
You are the daughter of the Most High God and He paid the ultimate price for your life. For an eternity, He will deliver roses to you. He will guard your heart with fervor. And He sees your value even if it's lost to everyone else, even to yourself.
You are a daughter of the King of Kings. You are incapable of insignificance. Therefore all you are and all you do is significant. Jesus died so that you could live. Live right now in this life, with joy and abundance.
Take God up on His offer to be His Seven Cow bride. Trust, believe, obey and then hold on for the most amazing, wildest, heart-pumping, romance of your life.
A love relationship with Jesus, the Son of God.
One more thing, go buy yourself some flowers and eat some chocolate today. Then think about a woman who is likely to be forgotten and take her a flower, a card, or perhaps some chocolate and read her the story of the seven cow wife.
And that's a promise.
Be blessed, Lynn
Let's Give our family a heart attack....
Father help us to take time to tell our family, both in our home and those who live far away, that we love them. Grant us a heart for those who have no one to love them and compel us to reach out with the love of Christ.