Since I was little, my dad has made it a point to take me on a date every Valentine's Day, our first being when I was two-years-old at Sonic for ice cream (he chose something quick because he said he didn’t want to have to change my diaper). As I got older our “dates” became more sentimental, and I started to understand why he started what he did when I was just two-years- old. We live in a cruel world full of hatred, anger and selfishness. My dad, in a small way, wanted to be the safe haven of my life, and he wanted to leave an imprint on my childhood memory full of laughs, hugs and goodnight kisses. He loved me unconditionally, and the older I got the more I desired to know the source of this love he expressed to not only me, but everyone around him.

Love is more than a good feeling. Love is meant to motivate us to respond in ways that make us emulate His goodness. We fall from grace daily, we show up short of the glory of God continuously, and we sometimes gravitate into sin without even being fully aware of the pull. How could the great I Am possibly love me? I have fallen too far, I have gone too deep and I am above all unreachable. The deepest sorrow we could ever cause God is our refusal to believe He loves us. What love is this that despite my inevitable disposition to sin, He still looks at me and thinks lovely, gifted, world changer, purposeful, anointed, inspiring, and beautiful? He is utterly enthralled with you, He unconditionally, relentlessly, radically loves you. How could a love like that even exist?

Many years ago, the most pure form of love was born of a virgin wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, and only a short time later would this safe haven for all who believed and even doubted, walk the streets with utter hate tearing at his flesh, spitting in his view, and mocking this love all of humanity craved. Taking blows we rightfully deserved, hanging blameless in utter public humiliation, and receiving a crown of piercing thorns that expelled blood from the same place in which it poured in the garden when asking God to spare Him this tragic death. All the while He did not once become bound in bitterness towards the hate that caused the heart from which all His love spilt over to literally stop for they know not what they are doing. Scanning the crowd of detestation, He still thought lovely, gifted, world changer, purposeful, anointed, inspiring and beautiful. As he exhaled his last breath, with His arms stretched from east to west he gave all of humanity the biggest hug in humbleness to His father’s will and our destiny.

He is so jealous for you, sometimes we even break under the heaviness of His love because it is so incredible in might. He so longs to know your heart, be your resting place of peace, and make you complete in His presence. He simply desires you to be madly in love with Him, but the vague part is we have to release idols in our life to really be submerged in this love like an ocean. We must not worship something that’s not even worth it, clear the stage and give it to the one who deserves it. Christ calls us each to love one another as He loves you. Love is not optional, we are commanded to love all who enhance or hurt us. It is demonstrative, our love for God is shown to the degree we show love. It is active, we are called to do acts that exemplify our pure heart and intentions and not shut our eyes to the demands of others.

Lastly, it is responsive; we love because we are loved, and it should in turn cause others to wish to know the source of this powerful pigment to our character.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant be removed,” says The Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10.