Valentine’s Day Tradition and How Love Stretches
Remembering back to Valentine's Days gone by, I reflect upon our East Coast days. A tradition we enjoyed in the years when our family was younger was to set aside this particular holiday to serve dinner to friends who attended church with us. The evenings of food and fellowship are precious memories. Even though we no longer can continue this custom due to distance, we still benefit from the experience. The oldest daughter of this family is now married to our Firstborn Son. She has become our New Daughter.
As Valentine's Day so often sparks thought of love, I have been reflecting on this topic. As stated previously, I am not one to consider loving others to be a frugal skill. For my way of thinking, love should be an offering of lavish expenditure. (With act, deed and emotion, not necessarily with finances.) However, I have found that just as I stretch my food budget as new circumstances dictate, my love also stretches to include an appreciation of my loved ones being loved by others.
Now, I am not speaking of married love. This is a unique love to be persevered. Husband and I have guarded our marriage, now 30 years.
What is on my mind is the love of children and grandchildren. How easy it is for us to be selfish and cling to what we think should be ours only. This need not be so.
Recently when Firstborn Son and New Daughter took our grandson, Bliss Boy, back to the East Coast to spend the holidays with his other grandparents, I was asked quite frequently, if this was hard for me. I found my answer to be, "No." Did I miss them? Sure! I miss them when they are home here in Texas and I am not with them! But my love for my children and for Bliss Boy was beautifully stretched as I rejoiced in knowing that his other grandparents were delighting in what brings Husband and I such satisfaction. Every picture New Daughter sent to us of seeing our grandson on his other grandfather's knee or playing on the floor with Grandma was a delight. What joy I experienced to know these friends were too tasting of our grandparenting pleasures.
Now we wait for New Son and Daughter's baby girl to be born in the next few weeks. Again I have heard concerns for our hearts in grandparenting this little one. New Son's other parents are our friends and live in our larger community and attend the same church. Comments have been expressed on the challenge of two sets of grandparents and one baby. The grandfathers tease about who will get to hold this little girl to be born and I am sure we will have emotions to process, but I ask myself, why can't this situation make it all even more glorious?
Can Husband and I not also revel in the joy Grand Girl will bring to her other grandparents? Can our hearts not sing even more sharing this experience with others who will know exactly what we are feeling?
Yes, I think love can stretch wide. I have found great satisfaction in knowing my married children are now loved by their new parents. Double the power of prayer, wisdom and affection means our children are greatly blessed.
This Valentine's Day I am rejoicing in the love that surrounds me. The deepest desire of my heart is that I might be a vessel for the optimum love giver, the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 3:16
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.
related posts:
- Babies Make The Frugal Life Grand! Lying on New Son and Daughter's comfy couch and holding...
- Wedding Bells Are Here Again! It seems like only yesterday we were busy with the...
- The Love Language of Gifts A while back my husband and I had an interesting...
- Savor the Moments Sitting at the table chatting about details of her wedding...
- Saturday Savings Smorgasbord: Learning to Love Leftovers Edition Leftovers. We all have them sometime or other. And we...
Leave a Comment