Valentine’s Day was approaching and I didn’t know how to tell hubby. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. And I definitely didn’t want to seem ungrateful.

I gave a huge smile. “Honey,” I said with hesitation in my voice, “roses are great. They smell nice. But I don’t even know they’re there.” (Obvious drawback of being blind.)

My sweet guy (you can see him on this picture) agreed. But when I related this episode to a friend, she said, “If my husband would send me flowers, our marriage would be over.”

What? That didn’t make any sense to me. So I asked her, “Why?”

“Because I’d drop dead,” she said.

Funny, isn’t it? The variety of ways we view gifts. We vary in our expectations, our desires and our preferences.

But God had only one preference. He had one motive. And He planned one way to show His love to you
And me—even when undeserving of that love, He went on with His plan.

In fact, when the unlovable in us appeared before Him, He still poured His love. When the prideful us dashed right by Him, His love still followed us. When the bitter us disregarded His presence, His passion still burned with unconditional love.

And even when we chose not to love Him, “God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Father, I confess there was a time I felt unworthy to receive the love you offer. But when I opened my heart to you, your pure love erased the fear that paralyzed me, the insecurity that clouded my days and the uncertainty that brought worry into my nights. Gratitude is written all over the Valentine’s card I signed for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• What does love mean to you?
• How do you receive God’s love for you?
• How has God expressed His love for you lately?

Author's Bio: 

What Happened First
My triumph began when I stopped trying to solve my problems on my own. I let go my stubborn pride, wiped the tears from my eyes, and nodded as I said ‘yes’ to God’s invitation to seek Him first. I invited Jesus to be the center of my life, the source of all and the light for my path. Then wisdom filled my heart. What a silly chica I had been–I was seeking first to see again, to have a ‘normal’ life. But God had a different order of priorities. And when I obeyed, to my delight, He put everything in place as He promised in Mathew 6:33.
The Victory
Inhaling a deep breath, I took His hand. Step by step, He gave me a new kind of sight. I saw, really saw the beauty the eyes of the heart can see when He parts the curtain of gloom.
Your Triumph
What happened next was that a burst of passion to inspire others filled my heart. And here I am, to show you, to prove to you that His promise is meant for you, too.