Valentines from Heaven

Have you ever had one of those terrible, no good, very bad days before? Me too. Days when everything goes wrong, and all you have to look forward to is sleep, and the hope that tomorrow will be better. 

Ugh. 

I remember a day like that. We were living in Oregon at the time. Ethan and I had argued over something or other, and I knew I was in the wrong. I was overwhelmed with parenting and ministry demands, and all I really wanted to do was melt into a bedroom floor and cry out my frustrations, but I couldn't stop - I had errands to run. As I headed out to the Jeep, my heart was burdened, sorry for my angry outburst.

Sometimes life is like a wine press, squeezing what's in your heart to the surface.

Unfortunately, not everything is sweet.

As I hopped in and turned the key, the first words I heard over the radio were:

I love you more than the sun and the stars

That I taught how to shine, you are mine

And you shine for me too.

I love you - yesterday, and today, and tomorrow I'll say

It again and again- I love you more.

-song I Love You More by Matthew West

I just sat and soaked in those words... and my frustrations began to melt away. Have you ever seen a parent soothe a fussy child by holding him in their lap? That's what it felt like - God holding me, telling me He loved me even when my heart was ugly, even when I was failing. That has happened a few times since then, and each time, I have felt encouraged to get up, dust off the discouragement, and press on. Which brings me to the picture above.

Meet Cheyenne.
 

She is a beautiful friend of mine- happily married with three beautiful children, and I'm not sure I've ever seen her without a smile. She is a gentle soul with eyes that are constantly scanning her surroundings for love notes.

A few years ago, Cheyenne started noticing hearts- heart shaped rocks, hearts in leaves, hearts in her food - so she began to take it as a little nudge from God, a reminder that He loved her. Every time she sees a heart, she takes a picture, and that set of pictures is like a love letter that God is constantly writing. Don't you love that? Valentines everywhere - all because she opened her eyes to see God's love in the smallest things- even if it was a heart-shaped herb on a carrot!

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Someone once challenged me to ask God what He thought of me. It was hard- mostly because I wasn't used to the idea of hearing from him. I decided to try though. I sat quiet, closed my eyes to shut out distractions and asked, "God, what do you think of me?" 

You know what I heard? 

I like your smile. 

The God who fashioned the cosmos out of nothing, who dreamed up stars and flung them into the black night, the God who made roses and ranunculas- He likes my smile. 

Now there's a thought!

Take a moment today to be still and hear from God; He knows just what to say to calm your anxious heart.

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Do you think God has ever tried to show you his love, but you didn't recognize it? 
What would happen if you opened your eyes and ears to his goodness?