February 14

Written by Bill Grandi on February 14th, 2023

Today is Valentine’s Day. Shocker! As if you didn’t know that. A trip to any store will reveal that, even if you were Rip Van Winkle and just woke up this morning. Cards. Candy. Stuffed teddy bears with hearts. Candy. All sorts of stuffed animals. Candy. Commercials about love and rings. And did I mention candy?  All kinds of candy.  (IMHO the only legitimate candy is the one that says “chocolate” on the wrapper).

There are a lot of ways to show love. To a married couple a kiss, an embrace, words, flowers, and of course, other things express love. A hug from a parent to a child. A phone call to a loved one, especially one who doesn’t live that close. The list is endless.

Once a month, I read to 5 different K classes in our local school district. This happens to be the week this month. The book I’m reading is on Kindness from A to Z.  Each letter of the alphabet tells something they can do to show kindness.  Kindness is a way to show love.

In Deuteronomy 15, the people of Israel were to show kindness to one another, especially to those who were poor. They were warned of 4 dangers:

  • A hard heart
  • A closed hand
  • An evil thought
  • A grudging spirit

It is easy to get jaded, especially when there are people who are trying to take advantage of or hijack the system. But like in many things, among the bad are those who legitimately need help.

Let’s not close our eyes and hearts off to those who legitimately need our help, our kindness, and our love. There are those who truly do not like where they are. We may be the one who helps lift them up from their discouragement and the trap they find themselves in.

Don’t stop showing love and kindness. Guard your own heart against getting hardened to others. And when you show love, you don’t even need a card, a bear, or even candy to show it.

 

6 Comments so far ↓

  1. Ryan S says:

    Good words today Bill, Show love and kindness!

  2. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to remind us just how much we need to show love to each other and be open to the kind gestures of others.
    Blessings, Bill!

  3. gail says:

    Excellent thoughts Bill. Absolutely true, Jesus gave us the model of love and told us it’s the greatest gift. Sometimes we confuse love with so many things, and make it something it is totally not. Going back to love one another as Christ loved us, and He commanded us to do. Showing love, kindness, caring, concern, listening, empathy towards each other is a God given gift we need to spread around and throughout His kingdom.