With Today being Valentine’s Day, a day of celebrating love, we spend lots of money on flowers, cards and chocolate. And I will be the first to admit that, chocolate and flowers are some of my favorite gifts that have been given to me by my dear husband. It’s a joy to receive such a fun gift.

There’s three groups of people I would like to acknowledge in this particular post regarding Valentine’s Day.

To the lady or guy that is single or widowed and you feel like no one has noticed you or even said anything about celebrating today. Maybe some of you even joked that today would best be named, single awareness day, I have been there. In fact, I used to hate Valentine’s Day, I would be absent on social media that particular day, because I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing yet one more sappy post. So yes, for some of you it’s a hard day, and it’s okay to admit that, in fact I would encourage you to admit that it’s a tough day for you. If you have lost your beloved spouse, I am sorry, my heart weeps for you. But I do want to encourage you and remind you, that you are Loved, you are important and you are cared for, first and most important, by your Heavenly Father who created you! You are Loved❤️ And I challenge you to embrace the Father in this journey you are on, May you rest knowing His grace is sufficient.

The second group of people that I want to speak to and encourage is, those of you who either didn’t get flowers, chocolate and etc. because you chose not to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, or maybe it was because financially you could not afford to buy anything extra or special. I want you to know, it’s okay! My encouragement is that you love your spouses me those around you unconditionally, and still let them know you love them and you are thankful for them. Speak words of blessing over them, that is such a gift all in itself! And when you see the sappy posts and bouquets of flowers in social media, enjoy the Beauty of them, but please don’t allow jealousy and bitterness to take root in your heart, because you don’t have any flowers! And may you also know you are Loved by your Heavenly Father, rest in that, He is Enough!

And lastly, to all the spouses and fiancés that are celebrating and did receive gifts, flowers and etc. Enjoy them, take all the pictures you want! It’s okay to do that! But also remember, the flowers will wilt, the chocolate will be ate, the most important thing is that you love each other and tell each other that! Don’t even stop that! God has brought you two together for a reason, seek Him and He will lead you. You are Loved by Him❤️

So what is Love to you? How do you show/portray love to a desperate world that longs to fulfill the God sized vacancy within them?

Frequently in today’s culture and society, love is something that feels good, sugarcoating what truth is, just like slapping a bandaid over on a wound and hoping it heals.

Just as we know that a wound will not heal if the proper care is not given, in the same way, we know at some point in every situation, truth must be spoken, and very likely feelings will be hurt and there may be someone offended by the truth.

Love is speaking the hard things, speaking truth in a society, during a time when truth is often swept under the rug and what we want to hear and what feels good to us is spoken instead.

Warrior friends, are we willing to still speak the truth, knowing it may cost us some heartaches and trials? Will you stand the test and still stand for truth? Will you love your spouse even in the hardest of times?

Just remember you are Loved by One who Died for you on the Cross.

You are Loved❤️