My Valentine...

You are watching Pride and Prejudice with your girlfriends, and the room is filled with chatting and laughing. All of the sudden, the room quiets down as the infamous confrontation between Elizabeth and Lady Cathrine begins: 

{ She still loves Lady Cathrine's nephew, Mr. Darcy, and is refusing to give her word to never become engaged to him. Enraged, the Lady storms out, leaving Elizabeth disturbed and upset about the turn of events. After a sleepless night, she goes out. 

She walks through the fields, mist closing in on the world around her as a tiny bit of light starts to appear in the sky. Alone, she ponders the events that have unfolded over not only the past night, but also the past few months...all  point towards the man she once rejected; all point towards the man she now loves more than anything. As the sunlight bursts over the wall of trees in the distance, she looks up and sees him walking towards her. Mr. Darcy...

 He still loves her, in spite of all that has gone down. In fact, the waiting has deepened that love to something far greater than before. What is different now is that he now has the love of that woman who he has pursued for so long now.

After coming to her father, they get permission to marry. As the movie closes, you see them share that sweet kiss as a married couple. They were Mr. and Mrs. Darcy at last. }

Despite the debate over which movie version of this classic story is best, this ending will forever be one of the most romantic. After all that had happened between them...after all of the misunderstandings, prideful, and, yes, prejudice feelings they had for each other....they came to love each other more than they ever thought was possible. 

With this movie, and so many others like it, it is so easy to get....well.....wistful. You all, especially you single gals, know what I mean. Valentine's Day is here again, and you are going solo. There really is only so many Jared commercials, chocolate-and-heart-covered mail ads, couples' Facebook statues, and magazines covering the check-out lines you can see before it gets a little annoying. 

You know God has your life completely in His hands, and that everything works out in his *perfect* timing. You are firm, even just a little, in your faith in the Lord to make everything good in the end...it's just waiting for the "end" part that can be difficult!

Most Valentine's Days, me and pretty much a million other girls out there are very, very aware of that little "single" mark next to that little red heart on our Facebook profiles. However, I am coming back to the holiday this year with a little change of heart...

You know what?! I am not "single"! No, I do not have a boyfriend, and there is definitely no knight in shining armor *anywhere* on the horizon of my life right now. But, I have by far the greatest Valentine in the history of the world. 

He is so amazing...so great...so loving...so kind...so caring... He is always wondering how I am, and he never wants to leave my side. He loves me despite everything I have ever done, and wants to take my past without him away and replace it with himself. 

And you know what? He wrote me the best, sweetest love letter EVER! One that makes me love him even more, and are filled with new things every time I pick it up again. I love him so much, and yet I know I don't love him enough. He is growing my love....and I've never even seen him! You want to know his name? 

...Jesus...

Jesus is my valentine.

Even though I didn't recognize Him as such before, I actually have had a valentine for quite a few years now. And I always will! 

If there is such a thing, my "Valentines Wish" for you is that you celebrate this Valentine's Day with Him!  

Go ahead, eat five pounds of chocolate and watch chick-flicks all night. In fact, my Mom and I are already planning on doing just that! (minus one or two pounds of that first part...:-D) 

Enjoy the day, and know that you have the greatest lover that ever could exist!

"...God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us."

~1 John 4:12

"We love, because He first loved us." 

~1 John 4:19

"My beloved is mine, and I am his..." 

~Song of Solomon 2:16