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The Bible Says
Valentine’s Day is said to have been instituted in memory of two separate men with the name Valentine. They lived in two different countries and were not related, or even acquainted. Both were martyred by the Romans because of their Christian faith, and both men were remembered by the love that characterized their lives. When the final history books are written, my friends, will you and I be remembered for our words and deeds of love? Will people demonstrate love in memory of US?
One of our family’s choicest heirlooms is the picture of little children, dressed as children were dressed a century ago, hanging May Baskets on their neighbor’s door. That quaint old picture was painted by my Uncle, shortly before I was born. It has been loved by all members of our family and is now in California in the hands of my grandson Mark Manley, who is a professional Artist.
She also remembered that I tried to find the most sentimental Card I could find for Dora, but she failed to mention the Cards Dora bought for me! They were meaningful and personal (I still have them tucked away where I can find them -- one of my most valuable treasures). I hunt them up from time to time, because they bring back precious memories. Neither of us could afford expensive gifts, but those Cards expressed more to me, than any gift possibly could. Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.” They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who got slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved his life. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.” The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied: “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.” Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone. They say:
It takes a minute to find a special friend,
To say those word means “I love you, and I want you to love me too!” Those words need not be romantic. They can be exchanged between friends of all ages. They can be the start of a romance or the fruitful result of a long wedded life. One of the Love-songs of my boyhood days contains this stanza:
School days! School days! Some teen-age infatuation is short-lived, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Lasting love has to be genuine. Marital love should grow with the years. Dora and I were married 54 years and our love for each other was greater at the end of that time than it was on our Wedding Day. I couldn’t begin to appreciate Dora the day I married her. I loved her but I did not know what a jewel God had given me! For instance, I did not marry her for her beauty. She wore old fashioned clothes and used no cosmetics. After she “Fixed herself up” I considered her the most beautiful girl in the world. Before we were married she sang gospel songs on the street, and I admired her courage. Later she got a big accordion, and then people drove miles to hear her sing. She never wanted to preach, but when I experienced a massive heart attack, Dora took over and during those three months did a better than I could have done.
I especially hope every little boy and girl has a happy Valentine’s Day. I would further suggest that every married man and woman surprise your mate with a Valentine and tell them how much you love them. Love expressed and demonstrated does wonders
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