Just Sharing the Love

Aw! February -- the LOVE month – my month of nostalgia. I remember those little Valentine’s cards we’d place in our class friends’ decorated shoe boxes. Oh, the anticipation of getting a card that a boy liked me, even if it was the pre-printed words on a cat-themed card: “Will you be MY meow-entine?” Just a few years later, I had a real “meow-entine” when my 13-year-old boyfriend (later, my husband) was my “date” at my church’s Valentine banquet via his dad and mom chauffeuring us. Be still my heart. He smelled so good and looked so good, too. I wore the cut-off version of the dress I wore in my cousin’s wedding. Taller than him, he took the next step up. Obviously, corsages were “in” and he gave me a humongous one. Ever since then, February has been the love month to me. Even though my sweetheart celebrates it in heaven, I get to celebrate right here and now with you!

Just Sharing the Love I know for many this is just another month of the calendar and all the hoopla about Valentine’s Day and all the mushy stuff is just not on their radar. But, maybe after all the rancor, debate, and negativity of the last several months, we can turn over a new leaf and make this a month of love wherever we are and for whoever we are with – online OR in person. I’m taking it up a notch and determining that February is a LOVE month for everyone I encounter. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily routines, we forget to let those close to us know how much we love and appreciate them. That’s why it’s so awesome to be in God’s family. Not because we are a “click” or “club" unto ourselves. It’s because we resemble our Father. We act like Him. We talk like Him. We walk like Him. We forgive like Him. We LOVE like Him. That’s why our character and our love-walk should speak volumes over those who are outside “the family”. God wants His family to be known for its love more than anything else. Jesus said our love for each other – not our religious beliefs – is our greatest witness to the world. “Your strong love for each other will PROVE TO THE WORLD that you are My disciples.” John 13:35. The pandemic caused us to hide out from others. But’s it’s time to COME OUT! Maybe not completely in a kumbaya sense of hugging each other just yet, but coming out in phone calls, text messages, donating to charities, sharing the love on social media. The greatest love is shown by our words and actions because God's LIGHT of LOVE in us is what the world needs NOW. Let’s be LOVE show-offs no matter how we do it. When Jesus said “Go into all the world to preach the good news”, I wonder if He was imagining our high-tech world that we could GO online and take the good news around the world to those who need the “love” message so much. Life really is all about love. It matters most. It takes top priority. So, let’s be LOVE show-offs and make Jesus famous through our love walk and talk! 1 John 4:7 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."