"Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday," I mentioned to someone in church yesterday. She looked at me incredulously and asked, "Not Christmas? Not Easter?" This person then went on to tell me how she has never celebrated Valentine's Day and instructed me that, as a Christian, she thought I should at least prefer Easter. My response was that I love Valentine's Day because I have fond memories of making crafts from red, pink, and white heart doilies with my Mom and sister as a child. It's also a day centered around love and since God is love, I love Valentine's Day. She continued to look at me in obvious disagreement and attempted to press her point further, insinuating there was something wrong with my thinking. I won't go into the continued dialogue, but only say that this conversation left me feeling really crummy. Which is obvious because it’s still on my mind today.
As Christians, whether we agree or disagree with someone's opinions or choices, we are to act and react in love. Expressing disgust and engaging in argumentative behavior turns people off. I was reminded yesterday that I never know the whole story behind someone's choices and it’s always best to show love and grace, not criticism. There are reasons why Christmas and Easter aren’t the happiest of holidays for me, and none of those imply a lack of devotion to Jesus. While I am far from perfect, I hope and pray that love guides my words, my interactions, and my actions more and more every day.
So, Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. And it’s also the day my hubby proposed which makes it even more special to me. ❤️
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