Valentine's Day - You've Got to Read This

 

Which would you prefer - a story or a sermon on love? Did I hear you say a story?  Good.  While I was contemplating the variety of women's thoughts concerning this day of love, I found this.  

 

Little Chad was a shy, quiet young man. One day he came home and told his mother that he'd like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, "I wish he wouldn't do that!" because she had watched the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them. They laughed and hung on to each other.  But Chad was never included. Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So she purchased the paper, glue and crayons. For three weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made 35 valentines.

  

Valentine's Day dawned, and Chad was beside himself with excitement. He carefully

 stacked them up, put them in a bag, and bolted out the door. His mother decided to bake his favorite cookies and serve them nice and warm when he came home from school. She just knew he would be disappointed and maybe that would ease the pain a little. It hurt her to think that he wouldn't get many valentines - maybe none at all.

 

That afternoon when she heard the children outside, she looked out the window
. Sure enough, there they came, laughing and having the best time. And, as always, there was Chad in the rear. She  fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside. His arms were empty, she noticed, and when the door opened,  she choked back the tears.

 

"Honey, I have cookies and milk for you," she comforted.

 

But he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face aglow, and all he could say was: "Not a one. Not a one."

 

Her heart sank.

 

And then he added, "Mommy, I didn't forget a one, not a single one!"

 

Well, bless this little boy's heart! Is that not so precious? When Jesus encouraged us in Philippians 3 to foster a pure heart, I think he had this fella in mind: Do nothing out of selfish ambition; rather, consider the other person more important than yourself.  

 

Who serves as the "other persons" in your life? Your family? How can you deposit a chocolate goodie in their hearts? Your neighbors? Should you place a rose on their front porch? Valentine's Day - it's our once a year - 24 hour opportunity - to intentionally, on purpose, make an eternal mark in the memory bank of others.   

 

You may not have three weeks and a box of crayons to plan for the big event, but you do have a few days and a creative mind. So get to thinking. What's your plan of action? Do something you've never done before. Then at 10:00pm Valentine's night, you can give Jesus, your Valentine, the best present ever. As His secret agent, you can lay your head on the pillow and with a wink of satisfaction and a face aglow, you can whisper: "Lord, I didn't forget one, not a single one."  


And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.


1 Corinthians 13:13 

 

Hugs everyone,

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