Thursday, February 14, 2008

An Anti-Valentine Love Story

I hate Valentine’s Day. Yes, I am one of “those” people: a cynical, “this-holiday-is-nothing-but-a-commercialized-excuse-to-make-single-people-feel-bad-and-coupled-people-guilt-buy-presents-for-their-significant-other” kind of person. I detest stuffed teddy bears with hearts, roses ordered off of the internet (thanks for really putting yourself to the trouble of sitting on your butt and typing in an order), and I especially hate those cheesy, baby-talk couples on tv commercials (the buy one get one free cell phone commercial springs to mind). If there was a club for people who annually set all Valentine paraphernalia on fire and dance gleefully around the flames, then I would be the first one to sign up.

My holiday-hatred is no secret to those who know me personally. It is definitely not a secret to God. As we all know that God has a sense of humor, it should come as no surprise that my no-specific-date-attached daily Bible reading schedule should find me reading the love story of Isaac and Rebekah on this day, February 14th, the “official” lover’s holiday.

Now, I may hate Valentine’s Day, but I am a romantic at heart. I have always loved the story of Isaac and Rebekah because there is nothing quite so awesomely romantic as a servant who travels miles and miles to find a wife for his master’s son and “before he had finished speaking” to God (Gen 24: 15), the perfect bride appears to give his camels some water. This beautiful young girl Rebekah, who had never been anywhere in her life, is now asked to go with a strange dude with lots of bling to be married to an unknown man in a far-off land. Of course she has nothing to go on but that this plan very strongly appears to be the will of God. As God’s will always wins out in the end, she accepts, rides a camel miles and miles back to the servant’s land, and sees her future honey from afar. And here is the best part: Isaac comes to meet her and instantly “loved her.” Talk about a match made in heaven!

Rebekah and Isaac have always given me that needed reassurance that God is completely Sovereign and that His plan is perfect. But today, I especially needed to hear that the love of God is perfect and pure and beautiful. No wilting flowers or gas-station-bought cards for His children. No siree. God has such an awesome plan in place for us, far more than we can imagine, far more than a singing stuffed animal or box of chocolates can convey. His blessings will never fade, die, melt, be eaten, or stuffed into a box of love letters from ex-boyfriends. All he has to give is a perfect, unchangeable, overflowing-with-true-love plan for His bride. Forget about Valentine’s Day. I’ll take that kind of gift any day!

6 comments:

evie said...

Great thoughts...

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