Today is Valentine’s Day. It’s the day set aside to celebrate LOVE. And when we think of Valentine’s Day our thoughts immediately go to romantic love. If you have a sweetie, Valentine’s Day brings the warm and fuzzies when you think of them. How do I love thee....comes to mind. You search for the perfect expression of your love for them and anxiously await their profession of love to you.
I too felt all warm and syrup, sweet as I wrote Valentine’s cards to my children telling them how much Mommy loves them and how much they mean to me. I got teary as I wrote an emotional, heart felt love letter to my husband-which got me to thinking about the word LOVE. We say I love you, or I love my shoes or I love my car, I love money, I love chocolate, or I love this or that. And ultimately what we’re saying is that these people or things that we say we love make us feel something. They make us feel good, safe, and protected. These things leave us happy, pleased and feeling good about ourselves.
LOVE is a feeling, an adjective.
But what happens when your child is disobedient or disrespectful? What happens when your significant other hurts your feelings or doesn’t behave the way you want them to? Do you stop loving them? Through the anger, disappointment and pain you still love them. Why, because you choose to. Because love is not just how you feel, it’s about the decision you make everyday to act out love. You do this even when the object of your love is not acting very lovable! You forgive and extend grace because you have decided to love in spite of.
LOVE is not just a feeling, it’s a verb.
This is what love really is, it’s not about the other person. It’s about you and your heart. And the purposeful decision that you make to give your heart to another, fully and completely- without condition. You love your children despite what they do. You keep trying, believing and pushing them to do better. You love them and want the best for them. You forgive your loved one for the things they do or say that don’t feel so good to you, because you love them. You have chosen to hang in there and consider someone other than yourself. To put someone else’s needs before your own. That’s LOVE.
So enjoy your flowers, candy hearts and cupids today. Delight in the sweetness and savor the warm and fuzzies that today brings. But wake up tomorrow and remember the choice that you make to act out LOVE even when it doesn’t feel so good.
