Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

Oh, I know it isn't Valentine's Day.  But that is a lovely heart isn't it?

Those pretty little flourishes around the heart and the heart itself make me think of some of the sweet valentines I have gotten in the past.  Sometimes they have come from a friend or a lover, sometimes from a child.  Either way, they are a cherished reminder of that special feeling we call love!

Sometimes the word LOVE gets overused, like I Love Ice Cream or I Love my new car.  We use the word so often, we forget that it isn't to be used so lightly! 

Love isn't just a word, it is an ACT!  Love is a CHOICE! And it isn't just once a day or once a week or once a year.  We need to let people know they are loved with our actions and not just our words.  Some people are not good with words, but anyone can be taught how to write a love letter, it is just putting those special feelings down on paper and they don't have to be elaborate or fancy.  Sometimes it is as simple as a special card picked out with love.

Some of the most memorable tokens of love I ever received were just thoughtful remembrances.  Once someone who knew I loved jellybeans went to the drugstore and bought me a bag and had them giftwrapped  for me!  It was so touching, as neither of us had a lot of money at the time...it was just the thought.  Sometimes a gentle kiss on the back of the neck or a gentle touch can be the most significant sign of love. 

Love isn't about sex or money.  It is the feeling in the heart....that place deep inside which wants to give everything...all of ones being to another and not require anything in return but the same kind of unconditional love.  Sometimes it is just a husband telling his wife that she is still as beautiful as the day they married, or a wife reaching for her husband's hand as they walk along a busy sidewalk.

Why am I talking about love this month?  No, it's isn't Valentine's Day....but it is the Season of Love.  The Christmas Season is celebrated because of the example of the most unconditional, generous love ever shown to mankind.  The true sacrifice of God's own Son for our salvation!  A love we can not even begin to comprehend. 

So as you approach the Christmas Season, remember to tell those you love what they mean to you. Not with elaborate presents, but with heartfelt kindness and good wishes.  Maybe rather than an expensive gift you can do some special thing for those you love which will demonstrate sacrifice on your part.  Think hard!  I am sure you can come up with something!

GOD BLESS - Peace, Love and Joy!