We've never really had any traditions for Valentine's Day. I guess the only tradition would be me scrambling to make the cupcakes and valentines for my kids' school party. I've always flip flopped between feeling like Valentine's Day was either a dumb or romantic holiday and neither one of those ideas really sparked an interest in me to celebrate it as a family holiday. The idea of it being a holiday to celebrate God's love may have crossed my mind once or twice but with my birthday a few weeks after Christmas and my sons birthday a few days before Valentine's Day, the holiday always got lost in the shuffle.
With a new little one to teach I think it's time to put on my preschool mommy hat and dive into creating some fun and meaningful traditions for Valentine's Day. And what better way to celebrate the holiday of love than to reflect on the only lasting, true, perfect love, agape? It's always humbling to take a moment and remember just how great and personal God's unfailing love is.
Psalm 57:10
For Your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Isaiah 54:10
"For the mountains may move and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the LORD,
who has mercy on you.
Micah 7:18
Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
Romans 5:8
But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us
while we were still sinners.
1 John 4:10
This is real love - not that we loved God,
but that he loved us
and sent his Son as a sacrifice
to take away our sins
Ephesians 2:4-5
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,
that even though we were dead because of our sins,
he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead
(It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)
Psalm 86:15
But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness
Zephaniah 3:17
For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
he will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Romans 8:38
And I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love.
Neither death, nor life, neither angels, nor demons,
neither our fears for today, nor our worries about tomorrow -
not even the powers of hell can separate us
from the love of God.
Lamentations 3:22-23
The faithful love of the lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Through having a tough few years emotionally and a very tough pregnancy God truly pierced my heart with his love and my heart was healed. I am now able to love and live life to a greater extent than ever before. My hope and prayer for my children is that they would know and feel God's love so personally that they will be able to stand confidently through all the seasons of life. This verse is what I want my children to get out of Valentine's Day:
Ephesians 3:18-19
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts
as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God's love
and keep you strong.
And may you have the power to understand,
as all God's people should,
how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ,
though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete
with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
So, Valentine's Day traditions, a holiday celebration of glorious love. Where do I start?
