5 Ways to Show Love for Valentine’s Day

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. It’s fun to look forward to a day focused on love and hope your spouse surprises you with a plan to celebrate….but let’s be honest. A lot of times we expect too much and give too little.

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating with your sweetie. But love is to be given away. 1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because he first loved us,” implying that God doesn’t love us just so we can hull up in a cozy love corner. He loves us so that we can freely and joyfully give that love to others. While I enthusiastically support married couples using this occasion to build their relationship, what if this year you looked outward to find someone else who needs to be celebrated with love?

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance. What if you make a commitment to display sacrificial affection to someone around you who really needs it? Here are 5 ways to practically offer love to someone in need during this season focused on romance instead of God’s love.

1. Offer to babysit. You know how it is with young kids. Mom and Dad are exhausted from middle of the night feedings, cleaning up potty training messes all day, and sweeping up cheerios. Give these tired lovebirds a night out on you! This is the couple that truly needs a two-hour kid-free break to look at each other across a dinner table and call each other by their first names instead of Mommy and Daddy for a night.

2. Invite someone over for dinner. Do you know a group of single girls who don’t want to visit the restaurants packed with starry-eyed lovers? Make a meal for them! What about that single mom who’s tired of being the only chef at home? Tell her to bring the kids too! You don’t have to prepare anything fancy. Simply give someone who needs it a warm environment for a special night in.

3. Send a friend a “happy.” Think of that one friend who won’t be heading out with a special someone. Send her a bouquet of flowers. Think of an aging grandmother who you used to bake heart cookies with every February. Drop off a homemade batch from your kitchen of the heirloom recipe. You know what would speak love to someone you know. Go for it!

4. Leave notes around your neighborhood. Help your kids craft and glue glittered hearts. Add a lollipop or other sweet treat. Tie one valentine on each of your neighbor’s front doors. We love getting Christmas cards. Fill your friends’ mailboxes with Valentine’s cards too. It’s a great excuse to express appreciation and affection for those you do life with.

5. Demonstrate love to a stranger who needs it. If love is to give away, decide on a type of service project to participate in with your family. An easy idea is to contact a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter to see if you can help with a meal. You could also tie up little giveaway packs of peanut butter crackers and water bottles to keep in your car. When you see someone in need, you’ll have on hand a perfect way to help.

Which one can you try this month to show Christ’s love to someone besides your spouse or your children?

His love is for everyone and we’re commanded to give it to each person we encounter. So really sharing and showing love is for every day of the year. If you’re up for it, make an entire month of love. Try one of these ideas each week for the entire month of February to keep love on your to-do list.

May you enjoy the sacrifices of love this month, learning to love as Jesus did!

 

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8 thoughts on “5 Ways to Show Love for Valentine’s Day”

  1. Veda, I snapped a screen shot of your beautiful family! When your photo pops up in my album, it will be a constant reminder to pray for you and your husband, your marriage as well as your health and family. God bless you!

  2. Greeting Barbara! You are dearly loved by so many women out there, me Especially. This 2019 Valentine’s day, I am giving my beloved Andy a 3 ring binder with all of our old collegiate (pre-married) love letters. Walking back & forth to class we exchanged these notes back & forth. Later on in life we purchased our 1st home….this Summer we moved, ahh-hah! we discovered a box in the attic containing precious 20 year old yellowed love notes. Without him knowing, I lovingly opened up the letters & placed them inside clear plastic sheet protectors. Up against the fast paced world of Facebook, instagram, texting & emails, seems like the idea of hand written love notes must be an ancient art of the past. I even found letters we sent through the US postal service. Imagine that? What will our kids think when they grow up? Life is fleeting & love must be treasured; nothing like looking back & remembering…
    hope our kids will one day treasure this book, too.

    &, we are ecstatic to go on the lovelikeyoumeanit cruise!!!

  3. Bless you Veda for your life, your ministry with your husband Bill to the Chinese community and for your years building into your beautiful children. So glad you sent the photo of your family.
    We will pray for you as you learn to live as wife again with Bill.
    So proud of you for clinging to Romans 8:28. His promises are sure and true and are our hope.

  4. Love ETH! Having another couple friend over for dinner for 2/14. Thanks 4 great ideas to keep the act of marriage going!

    1. thanks Kristy! We enjoy your all of your encouraging comments. Wanted to say thanks too for sending us your Christmas card. It was fun to see your family and congrats on the new church building too!
      Blessings to you

  5. Dear Barbara,
    I am a 60-year old American Born Chinese (ABC) gal married to a wonderful ABC Christian man. On December 3, 2005, I had a cardiac arrest resulting in a traumatic brain injury. At that time my husband, Bill, was the pastor of a small church, Asian Bible Church, in Chico, CA. We had worked together with our three young children to minister to the people there. It was a good experience for Bill, a first-time pastor. However, after my TBI, I knew Bill was my husband in my head but did not know him in my heart. Thus, intimacy with Bill was non-existent. Bill shared with me how we would enjoy sex once a week. Please PRAY that I would not be afraid of my husband of 32 years when it comes to intimacy. Of course, he is also doing some of the things that I used to do like cooking, grocery shopping, and running other errands because I can no longer drive because of my TBI. Thank you so much for your ETH blog. It is so very much encouraging. My life verse is Romans 8:28 and is always a comfort to me and always reminds me that the Lord has a purpose for me being a shut-in. Bill did resign from Asian Bible Church to return home to Fremont, CA where family and friends could help us out. I thank the Lord for not allowing me to fall into a deep well of depression. Forgive for writing a book. You may share my story with your family and yourETH staff. Thank you again Barbara!
    In Christ, Mrs. Veda Pong😃🌹

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