Better Than Valentine’s Day
This past week we celebrated Valentine’s Day. Red hearts and expressions of love were written and distributed, by young and old alike, to those who are the recipients of our affection. We know, of course, that real love is more than just an expression of affection. True love is active. It expresses affection not only in words, but in deeds – and often selfless ones. Like Stuart did for Hannah.
Hannah Peterson was involved in a serious car accident just one month before her wedding in Ontario.
She broke her pelvis in three places, punctured a kidney, broke some ribs and suffered a concussion and partial hearing loss during the July 18 collision.
Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Hannah was determined not to let the accident affect her big day on Aug. 25. So when it came time to walk down the aisle, Hannah’s father wheeled her part of the way down, and then her fiancé, Stuart, tenderly carried her the rest of the way.
Hannah, 23, who along with her nowhusband is originally from Northern Ireland, said that despite her predicament, the only emotion she allowed herself to feel on the day was joy. “Obviously, being in the wheelchair and not able to walk was very upsetting for me on my wedding day,” she told reporters.
Because of her injuries, Hannah sat during most of her wedding, but wanted to stand for one very important part.
“I was determined to stand for my vows,” she said. “It was hard on me to stand for that long even with Stuart holding me up, but it doesn’t seem obvious in the pictures and video the pain I was in.”
Hannah continued to heal in the two months following the nuptials, and was eventually able to walk around the house using a cane. She said: “Stuart never left my side during all of this… He was strong for both of us. He always made me see how blessed I was.”
You can read the whole story online at: dailym.ai/2m5nHGG.
In John 3:17-18 John challenges his readers with these words, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
Real love is active love. It’s love that doesn’t walk shy away from the tough stuff of life, but chooses to wade right in because the one we love needs us to be there.
Valentine’s Day is fine, but choosing to live a life of love is better.
Who, in your life, needs active love? My guess is you won’t have any trouble answering that question.
When should we show active love? Every day.
If we all worked at it, by this time next year Valentine’s Day could be a celebration of a way of life, and the little red card would just be a bonus.