Tributes

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is always one of the hardest posts for me to write each year, because I know this day brings so much division in the hearts and minds of people I love.

I think of you who are waiting and praying for love, and I know this day hurts. It hurts because you watch people around you get flowers and dress up for dates, and you're reminded of what hasn't yet come for you. It hurts because you know you're going to see engagement announcements pop up at the end of the day, and you don't know how you're going to conjure up genuine joy and deal with the genuine stab of pain that comes along with it. Oh, how I remember those years. I remember the ache and the desire to just fast forward through the whole day and move on to normal life again.

If that's you, then I'm sending you a giant blog hug today. I have no idea if breakthrough or more waiting is part of your immediate future, but I do know God is faithful and He will sustain you in the waiting unitl that time comes. And then He'll keep sustaining as you move on into a new season. But I acknowledge your hurt and make a place for it here.

I think of those of you who miss the love you had and lost. Whether that loved walked away or passed away, you feel that loss deeply, and today is a confusing mix of what you loved before and won't experience today. I haven't lost love to death, but I have lost a love that walked away, and I know the intense grief that stormed and then trailed for months - even years - after.

If that's you, then I'm sending you a giant blog hug today. I don't know why you had to experience the loss you did, but I know God never wastes a thing, and He will somehow use every part of it to strengthen, shape, and grow you. And He'll sustain you too - in this time of raw pain. I acknowledge your loss and make a place for it here.

I think of those of you who have someone to call a Valentine today, but your relationship isn't what it could or should be. I feel like so many relationships and marriages around me are under attack, and maybe you're part of that number. Maybe you're weary from fighting - for or against the one you love - and you just need a shred of hope. Maybe you couldn't find the right card to buy, because every single one glowed with gushy love and that hasn't been your story for a while now.

If that's you, then I'm sending you a giant blog hug today. I don't know why this season rages like it does. I don't know when it will be better, but I would love to pray alongside you that such a day will come soon. That you'll know the joy and peace of good love again. I acknowledge your struggle and make a place for it here.

And I think of those of you who are excited for today, because it's a chance to spoil your love with extra love. I'm grateful for just such a day myself. And I want to pause to pay tribute to Ryan and the love he shows every single day.

Ryan,

Thank you for getting up early to shovel the driveway and sidewalk when weather dumps on us all night. Thank you for carving time out of your morning to drive me to work when the roads are slick and especially for coming back to get me at the end of the day. ;) Thank you for pumping the gas so I don't have to stand out in the cold, and for getting us safely around all our travels.

Thank you for bringing me my first cup of coffee every morning and surprising me with a Blizzard when I don't feel well. (Feed a cold, Baby!) Thanks for washing dishes and cleaning out the litter box - and for washing your hands in between the two. (HA!)

Thank you for encouraging me when I feel like I can't get through a workout and always telling me I'm beautiful, even when I tell you I look like a busted can of biscuits. Thank you for praying with me and over me every day. Thanks for studying the Bible with me and being the best small group co-leader I could ever have.

Thank you for giving me little gifts to show your love - which I love, but they bring joy to others, too! The constant stream of fresh flowers on my desk and the typewriter pen holder are two of the most commented-on things in my office. I love bragging on your generosity when people ask me about them.

Thank you for always giving of your time - surprising me at work when you have extra lunch time and taking vacation time to help volunteer at church things so you can be close to me.

Thank you for speaking well of me even when I'm not around. Every single time I run into someone who knows you, they always make a point to tell me they love the stories you tell about us. Thank you for encouraging me to pursue the dreams God has put in my heart, and thank you for encouraging me whenever I have a hard day.

Thanks for making me laugh every single day and for laughing at my stories too.

Thanks for planning surprises and appreciating the ones I plan for you.

You are the best Valentine. I love you so!