Be My Valentine

Be My Valentine

John 3:16

I was thinking about love this week. I don’t know what made the subject cross my mind…. The stores have had valentine’s day decorations up since at least New Year’s. I was a little shocked when I saw them but, I was able to ignore that hint.

But it is hard to ignore the “gilt train” of commercials started on TV well before February got under way. The guilt train can be found on pretty much any TV / cable channel. This week the train cam by so often I remembered the ads during the election. It seemed like there were with the constant ads focused on one subject. But this week, instead of president or other elected position the subject was all money…..

Yes I said money.

The ads explain what we need to spend – purchase - arrange in order to have a quality relationship, a romantic/loving relationship.

The guilt train is filled with revolving commercials about jewelry, and travel, Chocolate Candies, Cute fuzzy bears. Is there any one here that missed the ads for roses???

Ok, Let me be specific, the guilt train is a tool used to speak primarily to married men. Men that need to be reminded and reminded and reminded that at least on a yearly basis that it is important to acknowledge how important our marriage relationship is.

It speaks to single guys too….however they are normally more in tune and take less for granted.

Now it is not that the commercials say we should feel guilty, they just show us positive emotional responses for doing the “right thing”…hugs, tears, smiles….when the flowers arrive or the jewelry box is presented.

Ok, let me reveal a little secret, guys are visual. When advisers want men to purchase a car, or a boat or roses they show us how it looks, and how it makes people feel….about us!!!!

They manipulate men by appealing to our inability to understand women.

-- You know I guess I am getting more and more nostalgic. It seems that I am able to remember the past as the best of time and the worst of times. All the specialty advertising awoke memories of Valentines seasons in the past.

I thought back to my elementary school days. I remember making valentines in class. The red construction paper cut into the shape of a heart. The white lacey paper that was glued around the edge. I don’t remember being too neat. I do seem to remember being excited to take it home to my mom.

I also remember filling in the to and from on valentines from the store….. for the whole class. The teacher sent home a list with every student’s name; I suspect it was probably actually a writing exercise.

Sometimes, I would choose particular valentines for certain people. I especially remember searching the box of cards for the perfect valentine for that very special person… My teacher. I always started with the teacher card, doing as neat a job as I possibly could. It was important to get a good response from the teacher.

My hand writing has never improved.

Occasionally, I would mark out words on the front, not wanting any girl to get the mistaken idea. It is not my fault that my mom made me make a card for everyone….wither I liked them or not.

Then on the day closest to Valentines Day we delivered them to people’s desk or boxes or bags along the wall. The girl’s mail boxes were heavily decorated with harts and lace and lots of red. The boys just had the minimum, a name if we were allowed to get away with it.

I remember later days in high school. Ordering a flower from some school club for my sweet heart. I seem to remember spending all I had to get the best gifts and cards I could.

Love can make a person do some strange things, it can make you act crazy, it can make you take risk that a sane person would never consider.

I had one additional deep thought this week. The more I thought about Love the more I remembered how much it hurt.

I hope that ya’ll can remember that painful feeling of young love. Sometimes it was hidden deep inside of you. Perhaps only exposed when you looked…..at a distance toward that person that caught your eye. I guess it was called a crush.

--- Today’s scripture is probably the most quoted scripture ever. You see it on a sign in the bleachers on ball games.

People can say it with you if you start to quote it. I would venture to guess that if you ask a random person what John 3:16 sez they could give an accurate paraphrase if they have ever spent any time in church.