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A New Perspective on Love

When I was younger and people asked what my favorite holiday was, I always responded “Valentine’s Day!” with a dreamy look in my eyes. I was the ultimate romantic. I loved anything to do with hearts and flowers, sappy movies, mushy poems—the works! To me, that was the definition of real love.

As time has gone by, my perspective of love has changed a bit. I remember sitting at my computer as a newlywed and staring at my screen with a scowl on my face. I was supposed to be writing Valentine’s Day messages, and I couldn’t think of anything nice to say about my former favorite holiday. I had discovered that sugary, pink, perfect dreams of romantic love were just that—a dream! I had a husband who loved me, but our relationship had gotten past the “honeymoon stage” and settled into real life. I wanted life to be all about hearts and flowers, but sometimes it was more about dishes and laundry! I also remember sitting by my husband in a clinic on Valentine’s Day and listening to a doctor share news we didn’t want to hear. That moment was about as far from our fantasies as we could get.

One day as I sat brooding about love, the Lord began to challenge my concept of it. “Do you think love is just what you see in the movies?” He seemed to quietly ask. He began to bring to mind images of when love had touched my life—a sweet smile from my husband at the end of the day, a note from a friend at just the right moment, my Mom’s gentle hug, an act of kindness from someone I hardly knew, and most of all, Jesus dying on the cross for me. Suddenly, I could see that my view of love had been too narrow. Love wasn’t just in sappy movies and mushy poems. It was all around me. It was part of my life every day, but so many times I just didn’t see it. I thought love came in one shape and size, but God showed me that love is limitless in Him.

Sometimes I still sigh longingly when I see row after row of heart-shaped balloons or red teddy bears in February. But now when I do, I can also say a silent prayer of thanks for all the real love that is in my life—love that is so much more than I had imagined. Valentine’s Day used to be about what I thought love was, but it has turned into a time of celebrating the very best love there is—God’s kind of love!

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