Happy Valentine’s Day!

Despite the challenges we face, and the pain we endure, this is an uplifting day…and one for reflecting on the active, reflective effect of love on our world. What do I mean by that?

I think especially of the way our inner feelings bubble outward and inspire others.

I smile. You smile.

I laugh. You laugh.

I strive to understand. You feel comfort.

I reach out. You reach back.

Our slightest actions have an effect, and when they are positive, the effect is, most times, positive, too.

But there is one caveat: Outward expressions have to be genuine in order to catch and hold. And life with illness and pain can have a real dampening effect upon our ability to express pure, joyful care.

So, we turn inward, to the love that God gives us within our spirits. We pray for His gentle comfort, and listen intently as He works in us. By ourselves, we who are so very human would usually see our problems, first. Our pain. Our despair. Our needs. But, with Our Father in Heaven, we can be led beyond those things and into His light of love, the warmth of His care. And the glow from that light will shine from our eyes, our hands, our heart, and warm others.

Love inside becomes love outside.

And this day becomes the start of many where we pray, rejoice, and reach, sharing God’s love as warm as the most generous hearth.

Blessings for the day,

Maureen