A Real Valentine's Day

Sometimes, I think we make Valentine's Day as a single person out to be a lot worse that it actually is. In reality, rather than sitting and pouting on the couch, most of us venture into the world of friendships, find other non-attached people and do something together. Others DO stay home and watch movies all by their lonely selves. But there's also a good number who treat the day like any other day of the year.

But I think we have to stop pitying ourselves for the thirteen days of February that lead up to Valentine's.

I admit... those 13 days are the worst.

It's like the 12 days of Christmas, but thirteen.

On the first day of love fest, I wished I would receive...
a love note writ for me 

On the second day love fest, I wished I would receive...
two tickets for a movie 

On the third day of love fest, I wished I would receive...
three types of see's candies.  

On the fourth day of love fest, I wished I would receive...
four little kisses for me. 

On the fifth day of love fest, I wished I would receive...
five notes of love 

On the sixth day of love fest, I wished I would receive...
half a dozen red long stems

etc. etc.

I would go on, but I ran out of ideas.

But really. Is it worth all the heartache of wishing for something God hasn't seen fit to place in our lives just yet?

7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7 NIV)

Do you trust God's timing? Do you trust him to take care of you?

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6)

Sadly, I believe that these are some of the most difficult questions we face as Christians. Sometimes it's far too easy to say, "Yes, Lord. I place my life in your hands. I trust you." But then, when push comes to shove, we still have our own plans. When God doesn't seem to be dancing to OUR jig, we tell him he's not being fair.

God loves us. He loves us far more than we could ever imagine. So why can't we trust in his good, pleasing and perfect will?

I once read an interview with Rebecca St. James... I can't find it anywhere... but I think she said something about if marriage is on your heart, God probably put it there. The trick is trusting HIS timing, whether you are 22 or 32. I did find another article about her after she met her husband Rebecca St. James Interview that you can read. She references something along those lines.

So how about you? Are you pouting? Because this isn't a "why am I alone on valentine's day" issue. This is a "do I really trust God's plan for my life" issue.

I fully believe that if you WANT to be married, you will meet someone - someone wonderful, who will be your best friend from that first meeting till death do you part. God isn't in the business of dangling carrots in front of our noses like a tease. Our heavenly father likes to give us good gifts. We just have to trust that if it's on our hearts, and in his plan, he will work it out... In HIS time. Not ours.

Just trust.

Happy Valentines Day!