The Week of Love

It is Valentine’s Week.

To be honest, it snuck up on me. (Does anyone else feel like January lasted approximately 183 days? )

The week when all the stores have all the chocolate, all the flowers, all the pink and red things.

With the shortage and expense of eggs right now, I wonder if any stores have considered highlighting a dozen eggs instead of a dozen roses?

I am going to be honest– in scrolling through social media lately, it feels like there is quite a shortage of love in our world right now. It feels like everyone is judging everyone else. Pointing fingers. Saying things through the keyboard they may or may not say in real life.

I read this verse in 1 John this week, and I am reminded of why we love. We love because He first loved us.

When I remind myself of the ways God has shown His love for me, it makes it easier to want to love those around me.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:38

My poor little nephew has been recovering from a brutal case of Flu B for the past few weeks. This little guy, who usually is full of life and energy and never stops, has been lying around and wanting all the snuggles.

I didn’t care about his germs and the possibility of getting flu B when He came to me and said, ” Snuggle me, Aunt Nenn”.

I didn’t care about what that could mean for me. I just grabbed him up and did exactly what He wanted. Snuggled that poor boy, snot, coughs, fever, and all.

He whispered the cutest thing in my ear. He said, ” Aunt Nenn, I loved you before you knew you loved me.”

Of course, this isn’t true, but I thought it was the cutest thing.

But the truth is God did love me before I even knew it or could comprehend it.

He loved you.

This week, as the world celebrates love, maybe we can take it as a chance to lean into the heart of God and celebrate His love by sharing it.

We love because He first loved us.