For the Love

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Every February, I write about love. It’s only fitting to cover this subject during the month of love, right? For many years—going as far back as high school—I didn’t like Valentine’s Day. But as the years have passed, I’ve tried to drop my negative outlook look and find positive things about the holiday—namely, that there are many different kinds of love, all of which can and should be celebrated. Chief among them is the agape, unconditional love offered to us by God. And when we look to the source of love, our perspective can change.

Last week on Valentine’s Day, I experienced the phileo (brotherly or friendly) type of love many times over. Several friends reached out at some point during the holiday. One of my long-time best friends reached out to me (as she always does) on Valentine’s Day. I met her when I was going through my divorce, and she has long known about my discomfort with the lovey-dovey holiday. Since meeting her over a decade ago, not a Valentine’s Day goes by without her checking on me.

And that wasn’t all. Another friend brought lunch to me. And as the day went on, other friends reached out just to say hello. These friends remind me that while I might not be in a relationship, I’m never alone.

God sees me, and he sees you too. Whatever you might be going through, he is there. And that’s the kind of love that deserves attention all year long.

If you’re interested, here are some of my past blog posts about Valentine’s Day:

2018: Love Is Action
2019: Celebrating Valentine’s Day
2020: All the Lonely Hearts (Technically, this one isn’t a Valentine’s Day post, but I published it just before the pandemic began, and it seems fitting.)
2021: https://stacimauney.com/love-one-another/

Dear Jesus, thank you for being there for me no matter what I’m going through. Thank you for demonstrating what love for each other should look like. Amen.