God's Love Remains

Valentine’s Day has come and gone.  

God’s Love Remains

by

Kathleen Thach

 

Did you receive anything for Valentine’s Day?  A card?  Flowers?  Candy?

For no particular reason, I didn’t send any Valentines this year.  But I did receive two valentine cards from one family member.  “When you can’t decide on one,” she said, “pick two.”   Those cards made me feel loved.  I had known I was loved, but in reading the pre-printed words and hand-written notes, I FELT loved.

First published in 1992, Dr. Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages has helped many people learn how to love in ways that are experienced as love on the receiving end.  The five love languages he’s identified are:  physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time and gifts.

Since my primary love languages are words of affirmation and quality time, the message of those valentines I received stuck like Velcro to my heart.  As I read the words, it was as though my family member and I were spending quality time together, despite our being hundreds of miles apart. 

Many times throughout the past year or so, I have reflected on how blessed I have been in having loving people in my life, people who speak my love languages.  I have marveled at how far I’ve come from the despair I felt at the start of 2021 to the joy I felt at the start of 2022.  All because of love. I continue to marvel at the “exceeding, abundantly above” God promises and gives.   It’s impossible to out-love God.

In the last year, the number of people I count as genuine, loving friends has grown.  My life has been enriched through chats over coffee in my home and the homes of new friends, through spending time together at church functions and through walking together in the neighborhood.  “Old” friends continue to keep in touch through texts and posts.  Friends laugh with me, cry with me, correct me and encourage me—and so much more.

I think of the story of a little girl who was frightened of thunderstorms.  During one stormy night, her mother got tired of going to her room so many times to reassure the child she was okay.   With more than a little impatience, the mother said sternly, “I told you, you don’t have to be afraid.  God is with you!”

Through her sobs, the little girl said, “But, mommy, I need somebody with skin on.”

We need somebodies with skin on, don’t we!  God, who is Spirit, speaks our love languages and calms our fears—sometimes in our aloneness and other times in the company of friends.

In 2009, Dr. Chapman published his book God Speaks Your Love Language: How to feel and reflect God’s love.  Throughout the book, Dr. Chapman gives examples of how Old and New Testament characters have related to God and God with them.   Similarly, he shares how Christian men and women throughout history have felt God’s love and expressed their love to God.  And, finally, how Christians today do the same.  All five love languages are used at various times and places in our worship of God.

Beginning on March 6th, our pastor, John Pruitt, will begin teaching a series based on Chapman’s books as part of the Christian Education program of the church.

Join us on Sunday, March 6th at 9:30 a.m.  

Share.  Learn.  Grow.

Valentine’s Day has come and gone. 

God’s love remains.

The best is yet to come.