While shopping in one of dozens of perfectly adorable Amish stores in Lancaster several years ago, I came upon this sign:
Instant tearing up occurred on my part and I knew I needed this in my house so I could be overwhelmed with emotion every time I passed it by*.
*It is hung in my entry way and I often stop myself to read it and reflect on it despite knowing the words by heart.
I’ve found Valentine’s Day is generally received with one of three reactions: warm embrace, firm refusal, or insistent impartiality.
Interestingly enough, God is also received in such ways.
We know the sun will shine despite the days it is hidden. But what about love? What about God? These intangible things which so many spout on about, others find themselves unable to feel or hear.
This Valentine’s Day, if you are among those who warmly embrace it, look outward. Look for those who aren’t going on about love, and let yours spill over to them.
The same sun, love, and God covered days of immense inhumanity. So, when we feel the absence of warmth, the absence of empathy from others, the absence of God’s presence in our lives, instead of refusing their existence, we should search for them. For the burst of the sun’s rays behind a storm cloud, for God’s small blessings amidst great trials, and for love found in unexpected places.
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