by The Rev Leanne Masters

Homestead Moderator and
Pastor of Southern Heights.

As I walk through the aisles in the stores, I keep passing the Valentine's Aisle, filled with red and pink hearts and boxes and cards. I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of the holiday now that I'm an adult. There is so much pressure on couples to "do" Valentine's Day "right", and (please) don't get me started on the marketing.

But, as a kid? Oh, boy, I loved the holiday.  I loved the chalky candy conversations hearts and the heart shaped suckers. I loved the crepe paper decorations and the paper heart doilies. But, most of all, I loved the cards. 

You know which cards I'm talking about: the cheap, character laden, cardstock Valentine's Day cards that you buy for distribution at school. I loved sorting through the cards, and picking which card to give to which classmate, and addressing them with care. I loved putting each individual card into my classmate's card boxes. And I loved sorting through my own box at the end of the day, reading the cards my classmates picked out for me.

I loved it because it wasn't about spending tons of cash or proving how much you loved someone, it was simply about sharing joy and thanksgiving in the existence of another person. How often do we take time to do that with each other?

In our world today, we often take others for granted: Our loved ones, who we just kind of always assume will be there, doing the things that they do and being the people that they are. Our classmates and our coworkers, who we smile at everyday, but put our heads down to focus on our own work. The people who work in the background of our lives: service providers, industry professionals, the bagger at the grocery store, who we just don't even think about, but are individuals and people with complex and beautiful lives of their own.

We take the existence of others for granted, and yet our lives are richer, deeper, and better because of them. 

We knew this as kids, and once a year carefully picked out just the right card to tell the people around us this. We need to remember this as adults. 

Friends, God has given us a great gift in the people around us, both those whose names we know, and those whom we are less familiar with. Let's be thankful for those people, and thankful for the great blessing that they are in our lives. Let's take the time this month to celebrate them with joy and thanksgiving. Not with cards or chalky candy hearts, but with genuine care and considerations.  Let's take the time to tell people that we appreciate them, to get to know them, to listen to their stories, and to thank them for who they are and what they do for us.

 Let's remember to celebrate the people around us, with joy and thanksgiving, remembering the great gift God has given us in them.