True Love or The First Valentine's Day

     My good friend and fellow blogger Peyton shared his thoughts over at Scatterbrained a couple days ago on the upcoming holiday, Valentine's day. Weeell . . . Peyton got me thinking about a couple of things with his post.
     One, now that we have a sitter for the kids (Having wonderful friends is such a blessing!), what am I going to do for Mrs. Penguin for Valentines this year? Where should I take her? What should we do? She's been putting up with my wonderings and wanderings since 1996. I should do something really nice for her one of these Valentine's days. Our first Valentine's day together I payed for her to get the top of her ear pierced. Somehow I think she should get a little more this year, don't you?
     B, I didn't used to like Valentine's day all that much. I thought it was pretty silly. In grade school, Valentines meant you had to give every kid in your class a valentine whether you really wanted them to be your valentine or not. As you I got older, it turned into a day to truly embarass myself and spend a lot of money trying to impress some girl that had no interest in me (former high school flames, you know who you are!) And then I got together with Mrs. Penguin and really messed things up for a few (read "multiple") Valentine's days. As she once put it, "I wish you would show me you love me on a day you didn't have too also, instead of just on the days you are expected to."
     The other thought that got triggered by Peyton's post was this. The first Valentine's day, the true one, the only one in history that really matters, happened on a Friday some 2000 years ago. That's when God showed each and every one of us how much He truly loves us. Isn't that what Valentine's day is truly about; the expression of love towards another being?
     We read in John 3:16 and 17, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." God SO LOVED!
     And in Romans 5:6-8, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God knew we weren't righteous, that rather we were ugly, pitiful, vile sinners and He loved us anyhow, to the point of being willing to sacrifice His perfect Son, Jesus.
     Ephesians chapter 2 talks also of God's love, and the state that we were in. Verse 1 says that we were dead, but verse 4 talks about His GREAT love, the richness of His mercy.
    Yes ladies and gents, when I think of Valentine's day now, I think about the greatest gift that has ever been given, the sacrifice of Jesus for me. If that isn't love, I don't know what is. You may not think it's mushy or romantic or Valentines-ey, but that's okay. We talk about "true love" and "young love" and "puppy love" and "romantic love" and on and on. The love that matters most, the love which we are to emulate, the sacrificial love shown by God Himself is it. That love is the end-all, be-all of love, and that's what Valentines means to me. Happy Valentine's Day Everybody!