Perfect Love
A devotional by Sara L. Foust
Americans spend an astounding amount of money on Valentine’s Day related items. A whopping $20 million. Yes, you heard me . . . million! Yet, there are all sorts of television episodes of our favorite comedies and drama that detail the woes of Valentine’s Day and spending it (gasp!) alone.
I must admit, I am a fairly simple woman. I’m not a shopper. I don’t place a whole lot of value on material possessions, because, frankly, my husband and I have never been able to afford a great amount of the ‘extras.’ So, maybe I am not the one to say Valentine’s Day isn’t that amazing of a concept. I honestly cannot remember the last time my husband and I celebrated with more than a card or some candy. And that’s okay. Most of the time.
Sometimes, though, I look at all the extravagant romance and feel a little left out. People maybe younger than me discovering blossoming relationships who dine out frequently and just have that “look”—you know what I’m talking about. Our lives are crazy busy and we have five young children depending on us. That doesn’t leave much time for romantic dinner dates or even time alone just the two of us (or time alone by myself for that matter . . . you get the idea here). Maybe you have the same situation in your life. Or maybe you are single and have the innate fear of being alone on Valentine’s Day so often portrayed on funny TV shows. Or maybe you are a widow or widower mourning the loss of the love of your life. Or maybe you love Valentine’s Day and celebrate with enthusiasm each year with a spouse who is equally enthused. That’s amazing...if that’s you.
I say all this to say, yes, Valentine’s Day can be an admittedly lonely time of year. But, it doesn’t have to be. Worldly love is a wonderful thing. The love we have for our spouses, children, parents, friends, and extended family is beautiful. And we, as evidenced by the spending budget for this holiday, pour ourselves into this human-human love. However, it is far from perfect. There are glitches and differences of opinions, hurts, forgotten dates, and sometimes fights. There is a lot of growing required to love another human being, and sometimes as flawed people, we don’t do a very good job of it.
God’s love is never like that! His love is the most wonderful, all-encompassing, forgiving, patient, perfect love ever known to the universe. He is incapable of being imperfect, and, therefore, the love He showers down on us is always perfect. In every situation. For every need. At every moment in life. There have been times when I’ve had to remind myself when I’ve felt lonely or sad about the lack of romance in my life, that I am covered by the greatest, most powerful love available. I am never alone. I am never forgotten. I am never not loved. And I find that once I focus on that incredible fact, the worries about the lack of romantic moments in my life fizzle away. I am loved by a King! What more could I want?
~*~
Author Bio:
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Tennessee Mountain Writers.
Her debut novel Callum's Compass won second place in Deep River Books' 2017 Writer's Contest. She also has a story, “Leap of Faith,” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone. Sara finds inspiration in her faith, her family, and the beauty of nature.
When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, camping, and spending time outdoors with her family. To learn more about her and her work or to become a part of her email friend’s group, please visit www.saralfoust.com.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." ~1 John 4:18 (KJV)
It’s February and this is a blog about love, so I feel it is my civic duty to discuss Valentine’s Day. But, maybe, not in the way you expect me to. Americans spend an astounding amount of money on Valentine’s Day related items. A whopping $20 million. Yes, you heard me . . . million! Yet, there are all sorts of television episodes of our favorite comedies and drama that detail the woes of Valentine’s Day and spending it (gasp!) alone.
I must admit, I am a fairly simple woman. I’m not a shopper. I don’t place a whole lot of value on material possessions, because, frankly, my husband and I have never been able to afford a great amount of the ‘extras.’ So, maybe I am not the one to say Valentine’s Day isn’t that amazing of a concept. I honestly cannot remember the last time my husband and I celebrated with more than a card or some candy. And that’s okay. Most of the time.
Sometimes, though, I look at all the extravagant romance and feel a little left out. People maybe younger than me discovering blossoming relationships who dine out frequently and just have that “look”—you know what I’m talking about. Our lives are crazy busy and we have five young children depending on us. That doesn’t leave much time for romantic dinner dates or even time alone just the two of us (or time alone by myself for that matter . . . you get the idea here). Maybe you have the same situation in your life. Or maybe you are single and have the innate fear of being alone on Valentine’s Day so often portrayed on funny TV shows. Or maybe you are a widow or widower mourning the loss of the love of your life. Or maybe you love Valentine’s Day and celebrate with enthusiasm each year with a spouse who is equally enthused. That’s amazing...if that’s you.
I say all this to say, yes, Valentine’s Day can be an admittedly lonely time of year. But, it doesn’t have to be. Worldly love is a wonderful thing. The love we have for our spouses, children, parents, friends, and extended family is beautiful. And we, as evidenced by the spending budget for this holiday, pour ourselves into this human-human love. However, it is far from perfect. There are glitches and differences of opinions, hurts, forgotten dates, and sometimes fights. There is a lot of growing required to love another human being, and sometimes as flawed people, we don’t do a very good job of it.
God’s love is never like that! His love is the most wonderful, all-encompassing, forgiving, patient, perfect love ever known to the universe. He is incapable of being imperfect, and, therefore, the love He showers down on us is always perfect. In every situation. For every need. At every moment in life. There have been times when I’ve had to remind myself when I’ve felt lonely or sad about the lack of romance in my life, that I am covered by the greatest, most powerful love available. I am never alone. I am never forgotten. I am never not loved. And I find that once I focus on that incredible fact, the worries about the lack of romantic moments in my life fizzle away. I am loved by a King! What more could I want?
~*~
Author Bio:
Sara writes Inspirational Romantic Suspense from a mini-farm in East Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and their five homeschooled children.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Tennessee Mountain Writers.
Her debut novel Callum's Compass won second place in Deep River Books' 2017 Writer's Contest. She also has a story, “Leap of Faith,” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone. Sara finds inspiration in her faith, her family, and the beauty of nature.
When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, camping, and spending time outdoors with her family. To learn more about her and her work or to become a part of her email friend’s group, please visit www.saralfoust.com.
We are truly blessed to be loved by God. Great devotional today. :-)
ReplyDeleteSarah, what a wonderful & much needed post! We made our Valentine's Day simple & more of a day for making treasured memories of family time for our children. We had soup & heart-shaped sandwiches by candlelight, and then gave each other our homemade valentines, sharing our choice of candy. Now we have wonderful memories that bring smiles to our face. Loved this post!
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