Naked

Oh, Valentines Day. 

I'm going to be honest with you, I have always thought Valentines Day was one of the worst marketed holidays in the history of ever. Single or not I always hated that there was one day a year to make women swoon and yearn for romance and to pile every sappy pressure imaginable upon men. 

I hate that there has to be a designated day to make someone feel loved.

Anywho, my ranting is not what this post is about. 

In spirit of the "holiday" I do want to talk about love.  

But not just that romantic kind of love. 

“Job found contentment and even joy, outside the context of comfort, health or stability. He understood the story was not about him, and he cared more about the story then he did about himself.” -Donald Miller 

I am a lover of people. Admittedly, one of my many character flaws does include pointing out the ridiculousness I see in others quite often (I'm working on it) but my heart truly lies in the heart conditions of people. 

It's become a major grievance to the people closest to me that I tend to open myself up to just about anyone even if the situations can seem risky. (I now have a healthy dose of caution and awareness-everybody chill out.) 

When I ask how someone is doing it's because I actually want to know how they're doing. I want them to tell me if they're having the best day of their life so I can soak up their joy and contentment. I want them to unload their burdens to me if they're drowning in darkness, I want to share in their sorrow just so they can know that they aren't alone.

Its because I care about their heart, I care about their circumstances and their well being. And if there is any chance that I can take even an ounce of pain away or ease any weight from their shoulders, I will. 

In my mind that's just what I should do. Love. 

Love isn't just infatuation, it isn't always some great overwhelming scene that happens to us. Love isn't a game of chance and it isn't just shown by material things one media crazed day a year. It shouldn't be measured by the typical acts of love. Love is a daily choice to look past the crud that surrounds us all and see into the purity thats there, even if you have to dig way down deep to find it. 

Love is dying to ourselves and our own selfish wants every single day to put the conditions of others before our own. To extend our own hearts and stand side by side with someone naked (In an emotional way. Don't be gross!) and vulnerable yet still accepting one another as fallen children of Christ and loving the crap out of each other anyway. 

"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart." 1 Peter 1:22 

I do hope you have a fantastic Valentines Day and that you celebrate life and true unconditional love with those you hold dear. 

Now tell me...

                   How are you today?