Monday's Musings: That holiday...

By Giving Weddings via The Wedding Row

Tomorrow is Arizona's 100th birthday! Yay for the centennial! I expect all sorts of celebration around the city. It also happens to be Valentine's day.
I'm not particularly a fan of this day. Honestly, I thought it was the best when I was a kid and we made the day a party that included lots of candy and pictures of puppies. (You can never go wrong with puppies and chocolate). However, there is a lot of meaning attached to this day in our culture, so I'll share the few thoughts I do have regarding this day.

1. It's just another day. Don't let all the ruckus make you doubt your self-worth or attractiveness or anything else. Your worth is not defined by being in a relationship or by being single or what you do or don't do on a Tuesday night.

2. If you do see this as an opportunity to go on a fun date, great! Have fun! (But remember...if you are in a serious relationship you should be having date nights pretty regularly)

3. If you don't want to go on a date, but do want to do something, you have so many options. This provides the perfect excuse to gather up some friends and eat ice cream and watch movies or whatever you want to do.

4. This is a great opportunity to drop a friend an encouraging note or do something kind for those you love. (Again, this should be a regular practice!)

5. For the single girls out there: I have been in your shoes up until this year, and I loved it. There is so much freedom in being single- enjoy it! You can do whatever you want, you have way more free time, and you can focus more on building good solid friendships. Please don't settle for mediocre just so you can be in a relationship. After deciding that I was probably going to be single for at least another five years, I was pleasantly surprised by my current relationship. And it is SO good. Don't settle for half-best or off-and-on or a "pretty-good" relationship. Please wait. God wants to give your His best for you. Now, this doesn't mean you should set unrealistically high ideals, but you most definitely shouldn't settle for "meh" just for the sake of not being single.

Finally, and most importantly, take some time this week to stop and remember our First Love, the Original, the One who gave his life for us. Because as wonderful as our loves here on this earth can be, they are only shadows of true Love.

Hosea writes:

"But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from captivity in Egypt. 'When that day comes,' says the Lord, 'you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.''. . . I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord." (Hosea 2:14-16,19-20)

C. S. Lewis says this:

"When we see the face of God we shall know that we have always known it. He has been a party to, has made, sustained and moved moment by moment within, all our earthly experiences of innocent love. All that was true love in them was, even on earth, far more His than ours, and ours only because His. In Heaven there will be no anguish and no duty of turning away from our earthly Beloveds. First, because we shall have turned already; from the portraits to the Original, from the rivulets to the Fountain, from the creatures He made lovable to Love Himself. But secondly, because we shall find them all in Him. By loving Him more than them we shall love them more than we now do." (from The Four Loves)

So in the midst of all the chalky candy hearts and glitter and whatever else comes with Valentine's Day, remember to reflect on the Love that gave himself for us.



PS: If you want some more on relationships, check out these amazing sermons from Second Mile.  Ruth was an incredible series on relationships (that played a huge role in my current relationships), plus these older messages on relationships are great as well.