While chocolate is great and I love going on fancy dates (confession: my parents, boyfriend, and I went out to dinner on Friday), I actually spent Valentine's Day at a chiropractor appointment, stopping at Theisen's to pick up mouse traps, spent the majority of the evening at my sister's first playoff game in basketball, then went home and made dinner with my boyfriend for my family. Oh, and after that we all made popcorn, watched the slam dunk contest and then we all watched a movie together.
A lot of people laughed when I told them about my weekend - typical me or something - but my back was sore, we found a mouse in our house for the first time in forever, I don't care what holiday is happening I am going to support my sister's, obviously we have to eat, and what's better than ending a day with some popcorn and TV?
But ... isn't that what love really is?
Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that people go on dates and give their significant other rose and all those other great Valentine's Day stereotypes, but love doesn't equate to those events.
Love is spending time with all of the people who mean the most to you. Love is serving one another, even if it's just making heart shaped pasta. Love is going to church and serving the community. Love is when your brother gives you a hug even if you don't want him to. Love is when your dad fills up your car with gas. Love is when your sisters send you the ugliest snap chats and don't care if you screen shot them. Love is when your grandparents send you homemade cards in the mail. Love is when your boyfriend drives you to your chiropractor appointment even though its early in the morning and you stayed up late the night before. Love is when your friend grinds up your whole bean coffee because you forgot to check what kind of coffee you were actually buying. Love is when you come home to find a card and chocolate on your bed from your roommate. Love is when your parents fight for you because they want what's best for you and want to see you succeed. Love is what Jesus did for us, even though we are so incredibly undeserving.And when I think about it like that, I realize that maybe Valentine's Day isn't so bad; maybe it's not my least favorite holiday after all.
1 Corinthians 13:1 - 7
If I speak in the tongues of men or angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
-Courage, dear heart. C.S. Lewis
Lexi