Love is in the air! The smell of chocolate has intensified, vendors with red and white flowers and heart-shaped trinkets seem to be everywhere I look. This is a time when many people measure those that love them by what they get on February 14^th. You may have overloaded on chocolates or perchance you are gazing at a new diamond with a big smile. All expressions of love.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many parts of the world. I have a deep abiding believe that we are to fuel our daily walk with expressions of love rather than trying to display them all on one day. Be it birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day how is it possible to receive it all on that one day?

Give or Take?

Are you among those that desires your birthday to be a national holiday? Do you make demands for your friends and family to give, give, give, to you until it hurts (them) on your birthday? Have you ever, in a room full of flowers, boxes or gifts assembled for you, wondered why ___________ (you fill in the blank) did not send you something or even call you on your special day?

People who want everything for themselves and they want it now, especially on their birthdays are not generally thought of in conjunction with terms that are expressions of love. Other terms do come to mind. The term I am thinking of begins with the word spoiled and ends with the word brat.

In addition to immature desires for objects, said spoiled brats: are adverse to hearing the word no,  ill-mannered and accustomed to lashing out at others when they do not get their way,  frequently making their displeasure known by being unloving to others and erupting in adult tantrums to get their way.

Unless they finally mature making drastic change in their attitude and look beyond themselves these individuals fail in many aspects of their lives. Jesus talks to us in Matthew about where we are to lay up our treasures and how that links to our hearts. He searches our hearts, check your heart for its expressions of love.

When you think about people whose lives are an expression of love who comes to mind?

From history books I think of many. The Apostle Paul, Harriett Tubman, Nelson Mandela, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to name a few. When I think about my family of origin I think of my grandmother, Leana.

When I think of each of them somehow I do not see them as crusaders of goods and services for themselves. I see each of them caring for and about others.

None of them lived perfect lives, they all stumbled, as we all have, and will in the future. As long as we are breathing there is still time to improve our legacy. Glory to God!

Love is…

My definition of love is giving of ourselves to meet someone at their place of need. At times we must meet our own needs; loving ourselves. Love is an action word, a verb.

We are instructed to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means we are to give to others (and ourselves) at our place of need. That is how we are commanded to provide expressions of love.

The lasting memories I have of each of these I have listed here is how much they gave to improve the lives of others. Those around them were of like minds. They left legacies which reflect their love of themselves and their neighbors. As they gave to others from a place of honoring their gifts, they loved God and themselves while providing expressions of love to others.

Our actions follow our emotions, which come from our feelings, which begin with our thoughts. Depending on where those thoughts originate, our outcomes, both positive and negative are formed.

Since we have a choice, let’s deliberately live everyday with purpose. As we walk in our gifting and seek first the kingdom of God we love Him as we follow the great commandment, loving our neighbor as ourselves; true expressions of love.

Finding the balance of love for self and others is our task as we navigate this plane. We are all guided on the path from the heart. When we feed the heart with the thoughts of God we are able to appropriately give and receive expressions of love.

Did you give or get more expressions of love on this February 14^th?

Take Inventory and Take Action!

Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”

P.S. My heart is a bit weighty now, as my thoughts move to a friend who was like part of my family. She transitioned from this life on the evening of February 9^th. Although she will be dearly missed, beloved BB is now at rest.

Please look for opportunities to uplift friends and family members that are experiencing loss. Remember to show your love each day.