You will be happy to know this is not a blog about how stupid I believe this holiday to be. However, it is my blog so I will say my piece (and then I promise to move on).
Valentine’s Day is not my favorite. Contrary to what you are most likely thinking, it is not because I am single and it has nothing to do with bitterness. I actually love the spirit behind the holiday, but to make your love for someone a holiday really defeats the purpose and negates the very special-ness of said love. I just do not like that presents are expected and the absence of them results in hurt feelings and arguments. The beauty of a gift is in its’ uniqueness; there is nothing unique about Valentine’s Day.
Moving on.
So, I spent my Valentine’s Day driving a CNU student to Newport News and then driving myself home. Sounds boring, I’m sure, but it was a favor to a family that I love and I happily accepted the opportunity to love them through my ample amounts of free time. That was God’s 1st Valentine’s gift to me.
Arriving at CNU, I dropped off my lovely charge and decided to head across the street to the new CNU library. Well, it is gorgeous, as it should be since so much of our tuition money went into building it. I walked in and turned to look into a new study room right off the new Einstein’s and what should I see but the back of a beloved head: the woman who discipled me through college. :) I knocked on the door and walked in, relishing her look of very great surprise and a warm hug. We only chatted for a few minutes but her parting comment that I had brightened her day immediately brightened mine. That was God’s 2nd Valentine’s gift to me.
Leaving her to disciple another of her charges, I took a slow walk through the interior of our beautiful library, up the stairs and around the 2nd floor, envious of the abundance of cushy chairs and brand new computer labs and just the general splendor of what I paid to never benefit from. (I am most certainly bitter on this point.) Feeling self conscious about wandering in the library with no purpose and no-one to wander with, I walked down the half-spiral staircase to leave but instead caught the eye of a stunned looking Elisabeth Henifin at the bottom. Quietly engaged in one of her infamous bear hugs in the middle of the library, I grinned. How sweet it is to be loved. One of the first things she said was that I looked older, more mature, not like I was in college anymore. OK, you have so won me over right there. I have been fighting the baby-face and vertically challenged syndrome since I was old enough to be “short” for my age. Besides that, I have been enthusiastically working on my wardrobe since graduation so it is fabulous to have someone notice the overall effect.
We decided to have coffee in the new Einstein’s and sat at the bar for half an hour catching up, with me grinning like a goofball every time she told me how happy she was to see me. Her exuberance was contagious. Our “chance” meeting lasted a short 45 minutes but I felt immeasurably blessed upon our parting bear hug. She was God’s 3rd Valentine’s gift to me. I left Newport News with that same goofy grin on my face, deeply convinced that God had orchestrated the entire trip in my favor and for my enjoyment. I mean really, I met 2 of the only people I even wanted to see, in the same place, without telling either of them I was going to be there. Not to mention their happy surprise which made me feel so at rest in the warmth and affection of their friendship.
God’s hand was so obviously moving to show the special-ness of His love for me that I think I might have smiled at Him all the way home. And His gifts were infinitely more unique than flowers or a box of chocolates.
