Valentine's Day Saddness

As we consider living incarnationally as Christ followers in the world - it does change the way one looks at the world. This is Valentine's day and there are many men under enormous pressure and many women who long for the special love expressions. Valentine's day is for women and not for us guys. Just a thought here!

I ordered the online flower deal and they arrived and were nice but there was no greenery to enhance the beauty of the flowers. So I ventured out! I went to our local Dierberg's grocery store floral shop. I'm standing among the guys as they were frantically looking for something to say what needs to be said on this Valentine's day. At least they were in the floral shop and not like the guy who bought his wife a jar of jelly beans. As I waited in line to buy a few dollars of greenery, I over heard one guy saying, "this is ridiculous, this is a Hallmark and florist marketing scam." While I didn't agree, I ended up wondering if he had a point when the floral department charged me $1.00 for every piece of greenery for a total of $12.00. I just asked for a bunch of filler and in the end I felt price gouged! But since I was over the barrel and because Michelle wouldn't appreciate me cutting up her plants for rose filler, I left as other guys snickered with unbelief over the gouge of $1.00 per stem. I also felt cheap as other people noticed my flowerless greenery as I left the store. What we do for love!

In all of this, on this Valentine's Day, I find myself thinking about the the widows, the orphans without a mother, the wife who is never appreciated or loved, the recently divorced, the ones wanting to be loved but have no one.

I look at the world through a different lens now that I'm looking at the world and not preoccupied with all the stuff I thought I had to do. As a pastor, I have regrets that I was so busy getting ready for the next Sunday, and so busy with the church family, that I didn't see as I do now do. Today, I saw some hurting and less fortunate ones.

In my new context of living incarnationally and making disciple making the main thing, I see life through a different lens. I am finally moving from the immediate to the most important. With the Holy Spirit's help and revelation I now see people like never fully saw them before.

Today, I pray for the less fortunate, those hungry for love, and those who are divorced with a great sense of compassion. Will you join me in noticing and praying for those who need the love of Jesus and others the most?