So, it’s Valentine’s Day. A day to celebrate love, buy chocolate and over-priced cards, maybe even patronize a local restaurant. Like many “Hallmark Holidays,” Valentine’s Day has predominantly lost its spiritual roots (interesting historical facts here and here) and is mostly fueled by economic and cultural pressures. Sorry for being a tad cynical! Indeed, my family had a lovely breakfast of heart-shaped pancakes with berries and Cool Whip, exchanged chocolate and over-priced cards, and my three-year old Abbey and I were very happy to receive red roses from my husband. I am big into celebrations, but I also feel for those people who struggle through holidays.
The Beautiful Kingdom Warriors is a place to consider issues that women are facing. One of the biggest issues that women face in life is loneliness. In fact, America is the loneliest country in the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, co-habiting, married, divorced or widowed – loneliness can be a very painful reality in a woman’s life. God created us as relational beings, so isolation or a lack of companionship can be devastating. Dr. Charles Stanley offers some advice here for those facing loneliness. What I want to say in this post, is that
God also feels emotional pain when He is isolated from
relationship with His beloved creation.
I have been attending a wonderful women’s Bible Study on Tuesday mornings (Comment with your email if you’d like details on how to join! It’s in mid-coast Maine.). The woman who leads it has been co-pastoring with her husband for 20+ years and also directs the counseling program for a local hospital. She is a fountain of knowledge and wisdom and I feel so blessed to have met her. Not long ago, she mentioned a concept that I had never thought of before. She told us that God has a hole in His heart for each of His children that is left empty if they do not return His love. He has unrequited love!!!
“Unrequited love is love that is not reciprocated, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may not even be aware of this person’s deep feelings for them. This can lead to feelings such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and rapid mood swings between depression and euphoria. Being such a universal feeling, it has naturally been a frequent subject in popular culture.” [Wikipedia]
God wants to be in relationship with you. So if you find yourself today without a Valentine, through singleness, divorce or death, or with an emotionally distant partner, and you are feeling emotional pain – spend some time with God. He desperately loves you and wants to be loved in return. You are precious in His sight, His beloved child.
May you have a Happy Valentine’s Day. Love to you, sisters!
Image credit: http://imgur.com/nXJ0dGp
The Beautiful Kingdom Builders 