A Nose in Need

It's that time of year right now. One of my favorite times of year. It seems to have come a bit early, and after this evening, this southern weather might be re-thinking itself, but there's no denying- spring is coming. It's that time where you can walk around in short sleeves and chacos at least for part of the day. Maybe bring a light sweater just in case. After all, if you bring it and it's too warm for it, you can just take it off. You can roll the windows down, open your sunroof. I love this time of year. But I spent 6 hours yesterday driving with those windows down and enjoying the outside weather, much to the chagrin of my sinuses, which started to remind me today that if I want the glorious springtime, I've got to accept those pesky allergens that come along with it.

So I said all that to say this- I was just doing my homework when I felt a sneeze coming on. And it was destined to be a messy one. I moved my books away and urgently searched for something to sneeze into. Luckily, there is a box of tissue right by my bed. I grabbed one just in time for the sneeze. But no sooner had I recovered and tossed my tissue than I felt another one coming on. I reached again for the box, grabbing the next tissue. But this time I noticed something. Something that I had always seen happen but somehow managed to never really notice. WHen you pull a tissue out of the tissue box, another one pops up immediately. They are somehow folded up inside there in such a way that it just happens. Well, assuming there are no tissue box malfunctions, which I know have happened to all of us. Anyway, in an ideal world, a tissue box would always work the way it's supposed to, which is, genius really. And quite inspiring.

That tissue box just keeps on giving me more and more tissues, even though, all I do is take them and blow my nasty ol' nose on them. I mean, that's kinda gross. But it keeps giving me more tissue. Just as soon as I grab one, it gives me another. Doesn't this kinda remind you of how our God's love is like a big never-ending tissue box of grace? That's what I thought of.

He's given me sooo much grace in my life. And especially in the past several months. Grace has kinda become my word. It follows me everywhere. I've been made so aware of the fact that I don't deserve a first chance, much less a second chance. But still God gives me grace. His love and mercy have always been there to, well, wipe my nose in a sense.

And then there's that Kleenex commercial. I think it's Kleenex. (Don't like sue me if it's not...) Where peaople are out on the bus or in the park or crossing the street and someone sneezes. And someone else just happens to have a box of tissue in their hand. So they pass it on, and the sneezer goes on their merry little way with the tissue box, ready to offer the next tissue to the next person that they see, who is, of course, sneezing.

So God gave me some grace today by showing me a little bit of his Truth through something really simple. Hopefully, I've been able to share my tissue box with you, and I hope you'll share your tissue box with others by sharing what God is doing with and in your life. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't mind hearing about it myself. After all, it's getting to be allergy season and I could always use a tissue.

Thoughts on St. Valentine's Day

In the first half of February, when you look at the calendar and realize that Valentine's Day is coming, what are those things that come to your mind? Chocolate, roses, jewelry, your significant other? You disgust me. As a girl who had never had a date for this special day, I find myself trying not to think about those things. For the past 16 years, February 14th has been my sister's birthday. And I have good memories of Valentine parties and whatnot from childhood. Pink, red, & white, paper hearts, decorated shoeboxes, those nasty sugar hearts, punch-out cards with Disney characters on them, frosted cookies with pink sprinkles, little Cupids...
Ok, hold on. So how did Cupid manage to work his way in there? A pagan god who is kind of a jerk... somehow they managed to make him cute and put him as the symbol for a saint's day?
I've heard a story about St. Valentine. Something about how he was arrested (they never mention what for) and fell in love with his jailor's blind daughter. Of course, his love and devotion cure her. He dies in the arena, but not before signing his final love letter to her with, "Your Valentine".
It's a cute story I guess.
This year, I got curious. I wanted to know who St. Valentine really was, and I hadn't been expecting what I found. There are 3 St. Valentines in Christendom. One was martyred in Africa. One was the Bishop of Terni, and the other was a Roman priest.
Most of the stuff I read was about St. Valentine the priest. Here's my retelling of the information I found. As a disclaimer, I'm sorry if I've botched the details; however, this story seems much more accurate than the first one.He was arrested for performing Christian weddings for Christian couples. While in prison, awaiting his martyrdom, he preached Christ to his jailer as the Light of the World. The guy might have been a little bit cynical. Or perhaps he just needed a good excuse to believe in Valentine's God. Anyway, he challenged Valentine to pray to his "Light" for his blind daughter to recieve her sight. So Valentine prays. And Jesus, showing love even to a pagan family, heals. And the whole family comes to believe in the Lord.
Now that's a good story.
Three men who lived the love of Christ. And died for the love of Christ. They know what Christ had done for them. He loved them to death, and they, somehow, realized that they could do the same. But Valentine did not just give his life for the Kingdom of God, he showed the love of Jesus to people in his life.
That's definitely a love story that I can celebrate, as I continue to go about my day, watching girls pick up their flowers at the front desk and listening to Chicago on my headphones. I'm ok with being a hopeful romantic for today. After all, Jesus loves me to death.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16