← Back to Blog

A Valentine Grinch or True Love?

Posted: February 12, 2016

This may shatter your illusion of what I stand for, but I am the “Valentine Grinch”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to steal the love out of Valentines Day, in fact I’m trying to bring it in and set it right.

Did you notice? As soon as the Christmas decorations are put away, the stores are covered in red and white. Valentine decorations, cards, trinkets, chocolates and every kind of knicky-knack under the sun cover the shelves of almost every store you walk into. This has nothing to do with love.

I’m against the deceptive lure of feeling guilt if I don’t buy into this lavish, expensive and slick marketing ploy. I rebel against paying double the price for flowers and sitting in overcrowded expensive restaurants. Instead, I am all for buying into loving my husband every day of the year. Not out of guilt, but out of a desire to honour him and love him the way God instructed. The bible puts it this way:

“My little children don’t just talk about love as an idea or a theory. Make it your true way of life, and live in the pattern of gracious love.” (1 John 3:18 VOICE)

Make it your true way of life. A pattern. Every day.

If a man is reading this they are probably saying, “Phew, I’m off the hook for an expensive Valentines present.” Not, you’re really not off the hook. You are on the hook to show your wife every day that you love her by listening to her, helping her and rubbing her back when she needs it.

To you ladies, you’re not off the hook either. I have seen men in a flower shop with a “deer in the headlight” look because they don’t where to start. Most men don’t know what to do about the expectations of Valentines Day. Give your husband a break if he doesn’t show up with expensive roses, an overpriced piece of jewelry or some lavish guilt trinket. Show him your love by spending time with him in a way that puts a smile on his face.

Throughout the year my husband and I buy each other gifts when we see something we really fancy. I love that! Those gestures come out of a heart of generosity, true love and a desire to please each other. We’re not against showing love to each other on Valentines Day. In fact, this is the time of year where I send out a Valentines letter to all our friends and family. I also do up a special page in my journal and on Valentines Day I will present this to him and read words of love from my heart. All of this costs me nothing except time and a true desire to express love in creative and meaningful ways.

Let go of the guilt and pressure to show love  “by buying just the right thing” on Valentines Day. Instead, make love a true way of life. Every day.

 

 

 

Posted in: companionship, Expectations, Friendship, gifts, Good Marriage, happiness, Harmony, Listening, love, meaningful, time, true love, valentines