OPINION: Be My Valentine

"God made my heart a valentine; Inscribed it with His light divine.

He filled it with some lovely things: early songbirds in the spring,

Snowflakes and wayside flowers, golden moments and golden hours.

He added yet sincerity, and hope and faith and charity;

Plus love and mirth and mischief, too,

And made my valentine for you!"...Minnie Klemme

Valentine's Day is Feb. 14. We love to send valentines; we love to receive them. Valentine cards come in every shape and size. They contain verses to fit any person and every occasion. Yet, the basic message is the same, "I care about you! I love you very much!"

Hearts and flowers are the symbols of Valentine's Day. Flowers say, "My love for you is alive and growing." Hearts convey the message, "I truly love you and want you to be mine." No words need to be spoken; hearts and flowers say it all and say it well.

We look forward to Valentine's Day because we know that we will be remembered. So often throughout the year, we feel forgotten. We feel so alone; we're not sure anybody notices us or really cares about us. Then, we receive a Valentine and we know that somebody cares enough about us to remember us.

God also sends us Valentines! As we see the croci and tulips and jonquils pushing up through the frozen ground, we can hear God saying to us, "See! I haven't forgotten you. If I care so much about the flowers, surely I care much more about you!"

As we look at the Cross, wherever it appears, we can hear God's voice, "Yes! I still love you! Nothing has changed. In spite of the evil in the world and the sin in your heart, I still love you. And nothing you can say or do will ever keep me from loving you. I love you more than your family or friends do. I love you so deeply that I was willing to die for you."

We send Valentines to one another. Why not send God a Valentine!

We can do that by -- 1) saying good things about the people we associate with, people that God created; 2) going out of our way to be nice to people we meet day by day; 3) building people up instead of tearing them down; 4) seeing the beauty in the world, and in people instead of concentrating on the dark side of life; 5) making Christ the pattern for our daily living, and by loving God and serving one another.

Valentine's Day is special! So are you!

Don Kuehle is a retired United Methodist minister who lives in Jackson. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Religion on 02/13/2020