I was only five years old when I was shipped off to family friends for two months while my parents took a get-away romp through Europe. For the longest time I thought it was incredibly selfish and simply bad parenting. Much later I discovered their marriage had been on the rocks and it was their counsellor’s recommended therapy. Sometimes flowers and a dinner out are just not enough.
If you want to make your Valentine’s Day amazing then dig a little deeper and let it arise from the foundation of true, unconditional love. Romantic love comes from the heart but true love is holistic; coming from all of you.
True love is costly. It’s sacrificial. The bible is rife with examples and teachings on true love. None greater than the love of our Heavenly Father who loved us so much that he sacrificed his one and only son so that we might escape death and become fully alive. (Romans 5:8)
True love is when we put aside the thoughts of ourselves and reflect on the value of others. True love is when we back up our commitments with action. You can live without romance but you cannot live without love.
In my adulthood I came to understand how troubled my parents’ marriage had become and how critical their trip to Europe was to the salvation of our family. They were never perfect and rarely romantic, but they built a home on love and I am the better for it.
As we focus on romance this week my hope is that you will carve out time to dig down and analyze the scope of your love for those special people in your lives. Then scour the shelves to find the card that speaks your words (or just write your own) and share them. You got this!
