Yesterday was Valentine's Day. A lot of money was spent for candy, flowers, and eating in restaurants to show love to someone special. I'm not saying that's wrong but neither was I offended when none of the above happened in our house. I don't need the calories in candy and he's not supposed to have the sugar. Flowers are nice but they soon wither and die. It's more trouble to get dressed up and go out to eat than it is to cook a meal. We ate at home and had two guests at the table. How romantic is that?
Does that mean my husband and I don't love each other? Absolutely not! We have a Valentine Day every day. It's when he fetches the paper and empties the garbage without being asked so I don't have to put my shoes on or wade through the snow. It's when he helps with the dishes, shakes the rugs, sweeps the porch, and other little things.
It's when he smells the coffee when he comes out of the bedroom in the morning, his lunch is packed and ready to go even if he needs it at 6 a.m. It's when his drawer is "magically" (his word) filled with clean clothes and a button that pops off is sewed back on.
You get the picture. Love is an action word. It's what we do every day to make life easier for each other. I'd rather have a home cooked meal on Valentine's Day and love demonstrated every day than chocolates and roses from someone who treats me like dirt every other day.
I grew up in a family where love was shown in actions rather than words. We didn't say "I love you" to each other every day, at the end of every phone call etc. I remember only one time my mother said those three words to me and that was on her deathbed. Yet, I didn't feel unloved. Her actions told me I was loved without needing to say the words. So maybe that's why my love language to this day is "acts of service." To me, love is shown more by what you do than what you say.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. Proverbs 15:17
