LOVE this day.

I've made it well known among several of my friends that Valentine's Day is my favorite (secular) holiday.

I don't know when I decided this. Probably back in 2nd grade when I had to decorate a shoe box in order to receive mass amounts of candy. Art + candy = two of the best things in life. Not to mention, red and pink do brighten an otherwise dreary sort of month. 

In college there was a little resistance to February 14th - mostly because Hallmark decided it was meant for couples and people in "love". Brilliant marketing strategy, really. Some students (okay, maybe just 2%) would walk around in black trench coats. I think a few of them actually wore signs that read "Singles Awareness Day." Really?

Because for me, while I do admit there are still some days of doubt and dissatisfaction, Valentine's Day is a tangible reminder to tell those that I care about that I love them. 

Without the blood of Christ, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, my natural tendency would be to hate God and my neighbor. (Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 5.) But Valentine's Day is a reminder that I can only genuinely love because of Jesus. 

So if you, yes you, are considering this day to be Singles Awareness Day, I challenge you to not look at the negative. But the positive. 1 Corinthians 7:17 says, "Only let each person lead the life that...God has called him." You were called (for this moment in time) to be single. Because that's the best thing for you right now! "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness..." (2 Peter 1:3) We have everything, EVERYTHING we need in Him!

So, go ahead, love this day, because if you are in Christ, you were called to live this Valentine's Day with purpose and love because you have all you need.