Love All Around

 

One morning Emma woke up with a start. Her husband Jim asked he what the matter was, she told him, “I just had a dream that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine’s Day. What do you think it means?” Jim replied, “You’ll know tonight.” That evening Jim came home from work with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, Emma opened it, only to find a book entitled, “The Meaning of Dreams”.

Before me is a tattered book with torn edges and a torn cover. It’s not an old book but a well-worn one. It has been dropped numerous times, stepped on – once or twice, cried on and sweated over. Some of the pages have been repaired with invisible tape after being torn by accident.

It’s obvious the words of the book have been labored over. Some of them are underlined, some are highlighted in yellow, while others are contained in brackets of various configurations. To the side of some of the words are scribbled stars, question marks and, by some, exclamation points. Yet in spite of its dilapidated appearance, the book remains precious. I unashamedly carry it and would open it in the presence of the vilest as well as the nobility. It is the focal point of my library and, as far as I’m concerned, it should be that of every other library on earth. It contains not only the answers to every question man has ever asked but also answers to some he hasn’t thought to ask.

This book is my companion during my journeys of everyday life and along paths I must walk alone. It’s my staff which sometimes supports a tired spirit and a battered faith. It’s my counselor and source of counseling to others because it is the final rule by which all is measured to be true or false, wise or foolish.

You see, this book is close to my heart because it is the only thing on this earth that can tell me of a Savior’s love. It’s God’s one and only communication to modern man. It’s the living and life-giving Word of God – My Bible.

Valentine’s Day is coming up on Saturday. Millions of people will be expressing their love for someone. They will send gift cards, boxes of chocolates, red roses, balloons and much more. Perhaps the couple will go out for a romantic, candlelight dinner. School children might make Valentine’s cards in their classrooms using construction paper and paste. Have you ever heard these professions of love? • I love you more than a dog loves his bone. • I love you more than the Cookie Monster loves cookies. • I love you more than a turkey hates Thanksgiving. • I love you more than a flower loves its bloom. • I love you more than Romeo loves Juliet. • I love you more than a rhino loves his horn. • I love you more than Baskin loves Robbins. • I love you more than waffles love ice cream. • I love you more than you will ever know. • I love you more than I love myself. • I love you more than words can say. • I love you more than a cat loves catnip.

God loves us, as you well know. But God did not send a box of chocolates. God did not give us gift cards or balloons. God did not give us red roses, but thorns, and the color red was involved. The Bible says (and I am paraphrasing) that the “proof of God’s amazing love is that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The cross of Christ is an amazing profession of love. In fact, Jesus said that “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Jesus gave his life for us.

When you see a cross, remember that - much more than a red rose, candy cane or box of chocolates - it is the supreme symbol of love.