A Day For Love And Miracles

It is simply amazing how fast life can turn itself around! After such a terrible day yesterday, I thought that today would be just as bad.

Normally, I detest Valentine's Day. All the romantic stuff, all the couples, all the loving, I would normally say Bah Humbug! However, this year, I can't. I feel very strange. My heart rate is up, my blood pressure has risen, adrenaline is rushing through my veins, and my pupils are really dilated. I don't know whether to burst into tears of joy or call 911.

I did my research and found out why this day exists in the first place. Valentine was a bishop in the 3rd Century Church. When the Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage, Valentine began to secretly perform marriage ceremonies for young couples. When the emperor discovered this, he had Valentine arrested. Impressed by the bishop's convictions, he attempted to convert him to the worship of Roman gods. At the same time, Valentine sought to persuade the emperor to follow Christ. The end result was his execution.

It is said that while in prison, Valentine healed the daughter of a jailer of blindness. Just prior to his execution, he penned a letter to the young woman, ending it with, "From your Valentine." St. Valentine gave up his life in the service of others.

That's what Valentine's Day is all about! It's not about all the romantic stuff between couples. It's about the love shared between family and friends. The big verse of the day was John 15:13, "No greater love has a man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends".

Then, as if that wasn't enough to get me excited, I found out that I ended up in someone's dreams. Yeah, that's right. That's never happened before...

Then I find this wonderful paragraph about me in a blog. I am smiling from ear to ear! I had forgotten what being truly happy felt like, but now I remember! I just want to run around doing my happy dance and giving every person I meet a hearty handshake or hug.

Just in case you missed it, I go to bed tonight happy. I mean really happy. This is one of the best Valentine's Days I have ever had. And I didn't even have an official Valentine. I'll go ahead and apologize for the long quote tonight...but it rings so very true.

May God keep you this and every night
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Love is patient, Love is kind,
It does not envy, it does not boast,
It is not proud, It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil
,but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.

Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
~1st Corinthians 4-7, 13