Happy Valentines Day

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. 

I love Valentines Day – the chocolates, the flowers, the cards, the meals out. It’s a great time to celebrate the special people in our lives.

When we look at the origins of Valentines Day it sheds a different light on the situation. Many early martyrs were called by the name of Valentine. Legend tells us that there was one particular man called Valentine who was imprisoned for doing acts of charity to persecuted Christians and also overseeing the marriage of Roman soldiers (there were those forbidden to marry). The whole idea of cards and celebrating the love between a husband and wife originated in the United Kingdom.

In the United States 18.6 billion is spent on Valentines Day alone.

Even here in Kenya, Valentines Day is becoming a bigger event.

When we get down to it though, why do we leave it till one day a year to tell that special someone how much they matter to you? We should be expressing it often and in different ways. A simple note of appreciation, putting together a playlist of your favorite songs, pulling a chair out so the person can be seated, opening the car door for them, telling others how wonderful they are.

Expressions of love don’t have to be huge things. At the moment there seems to be a competition of who can give the most romantic marriage proposal and then post it online. While it’s a great idea, true love means going through the hard and good times TOGETHER. It means having the other persons back and means being the love of Christ to someone who doesn't necessarily deserve it.

I have seen a great example of love expressed at our monthly meeting for sponsored children in the Kibera Slum. While these young people are sponsored to stay in school, they are required to attend the monthly meeting of games, singing, activities and a time around God’s Word. Each attendee also gets a snack at the end of the program. It always incorporates a piece of fruit and a drink as well as items such as a doughnut, hot dog or samosas. We celebrate birthdays for that month and each is presented with a card. Birthdays are not a big event in Kibera, but we want to get across the message that they are important to both God and us.

Children playing in Nakuru

It always amazes me how much food these little ones can eat in a short period of time. Many times I have seen children take a small amount of the cake for themselves and ask if it’s okay to take the other portion back for one of their siblings (which of course we say yes!). It may seem a small thing to us, but to the person who gets a piece of cake, it is huge. In the West we would just throw leftovers in the rubbish bin. Here, every morsel is important, so to share it with someone else is a huge sacrifice.

Acts of kindness whether done randomly or on purpose can impact someone forever.

Let’s think about what we can do for someone else on Valentines Day but also beyond that. Do something that tells them that they are special and that both God and we appreciate them. Pick up the phone and talk to someone who you haven’t spoken to in a while. Send an SMS saying ‘hi’. Post a letter (that doesn't happen much anymore). Put up a photo album online of people who have impacted you and say ‘thanks’.

  

Tell someone you love them. If God could express his love by giving his son Jesus for us, we too can express God’s love to others.