My Valentine to God

Valentine Day!  The holiday when all hearts turn to love and all of the advertisements tell us we need this giant teddy bear or that large box of chocolates to express our love to someone special in our life.  In addition to all the words of encouragement to express our love to another, this month most of the scripture I’ve been reading has been about love.  My thoughts were definitely on love! 

As I reflected on love and God and a gift I was given for Valentine's Day, I began to realize that far too often I am much quicker and also more verbal in expressing my excitement and gratitude about a gift someone gives than I am in expressing my joy and gratitude about the day to day things God provides.  I keep an ongoing list that I started several months ago about the simple things for which I’m grateful and today I want to share just a part of that list with you.  These thoughts were taken straight from my Journal.  Perhaps you can relate to some of them and have your own time of gratitude to God as well.  

Eyes to read

       The sun as it shines on wet grass

              The feel of dirt in my hands

                      God knows me, yet still He loves me

                              The last hydrangea of the season

                                      God’s Word.

Laughter

       Healing

              Laundry

                      Broken seashells

                              A good night’s sleep

                                    Yellow butterfly.

People different than me

       Busy days

              My past

                        Bugs that bite and cream that heals

                                 Cell phones you can silence

                                         My journal.

Order brought from chaos

         Strength to work.

                 New experiences at my age

                          Noise in the house and the quietness that follows

                                   Not knowing what tomorrow may bring

                                            A difficult day.

Fresh starts.

        Answered prayers

                  Knowing He hears

                        The one who controls nature

                              Missionaries who go

                                      A red VW Beetle my husband surprised me with.  

And, yes, it was that gift that began this reflection and realization once again that all good and perfect gifts are from God above.  

God first showed His love for us by sending His Son to die for our sins.  John 3:16 in the Phillips translation reads like this, "For God loved the world so much that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not be lost, but should have eternal life."  

Thank you God that you gave the ultimate gift, Your Son, as an expression of your love for the me. Thank you for painting pictures of your love for me each and every day in the little things of life.  I want to always express my love for You and for all you do for me with even more joy and gratitude than I do for other gifts.  I love you God, forever and ever, Amen.