Will You Be My Valentine?

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

1 John 4:9 NKJV

Do you have childhood memories of Valentine’s Day? Mine centered around elementary school when my class would celebrate with a party and a Valentine’s exchange. My teacher provided a special time a few days prior so we could decorate our personal “mailboxes” to collect our Valentines. Then we would attach them to the blackboard tray in a long, neat row in anticipation of the big day.

The week before, my mother would buy me a box of Valentines to fill out and place in tiny envelopes. I would count out the exact number for each person in my class and sign my name on the back of each one. However, I always had a special one for a boy I liked at the time. Then I would glue a candy heart to the outside of the envelopes—those hard ones with a message printed on them: Be Mine, Cutie, and such.

The big day arrived. The girls preened in red or pink dresses, while the boys giggled self-consciously in tightly-knit circles. When our teacher gave the signal to begin, we rushed to the row of paper bags to deliver our Valentines, much like a litter of kittens racing to a bowl of cream. Arms flew everywhere amidst squeals of laughter until everyone’s envelopes were delivered.

Afterward, the room mothers herded us to our tables and served chocolate cupcakes, thick sugar cookies with pink icing, and red Hawaiian punch. Our classroom grew quiet as we munched on our confections, which provided time for our teacher to bring us our Valentine bags. As soon as we received them, the silence broke with the rustling and tearing of paper followed by more giggling and laughter. Some read, Will you be my Valentine, from that special someone. Reddened cheeks splotched with embarrassment—even mine. But my heart sang.

As we grew older, we better understood Valentine’s Day as it related to Cupid. For a boy to send a Valentine to a girl meant something special about their relationship.

Will you be Mine?

Puppy love germinated during Middle School days, and for some, it would continue into adulthood, blossoming into marriage. For others, the disappointment of not receiving a special Valentine could mark the day with tears and broken hearts.

Regardless of past Valentine’s Days, we can still celebrate receiving love letters today and every day from the One who has always loved us.

God knew us before we were conceived in our mother’s womb.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.

Jeremiah 1:5a NIV

God loved us so much that His Son died for each one of us before we were born. Jesus suffered in our place and took the punishment we deserved.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:10 NIV

How could Jesus love us with such a deep and perfect love? His love letter is His Word. He has extended his “Valentine” written in red to each of us. Will we accept His love and seal our eternity with Him?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17 NKJV

We love You, Father God, and thank You for sending Your Son into the world. Not only did Jesus show us how to love You, but also how to love one another. May the love of Christ shine brightly in our lives as a witness of Your love for all men. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Will You Be My Valentine? by Karen Jurgens Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved.