At this time of the year, stores are filled with pink and red merchandise. The pressure is on to buy chocolates, a stuffed animal, or various other novelties to express love to someone. At the very least, the vast assortment of Valentine's cards ranges from romantic to funny.

As children, we would buy books of cards we had to cut out, with cute sayings that we took great pains to match appropriately to our classmates. Then, these cards were "mailed" in a decorated box in the classroom. We waited with great anticipation for February 14th to see how many cards we would receive, and to enjoy a party.

The kind of love expressed on greeting cards is not the same as God's love. The heading in my Bible for the well-known love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, states, "Love is the greatest". Here are some qualities of this love:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (NLT)

Every year, Terry and I are asked to look after our four grandchildren for a few days while their parents go on a holiday by themselves. The children are now much more reasonable than when they were younger. We said "yes" again, hoping there would be no major challenges.

We filled the summer days with interesting activities and outings. Then, the "drama" hit. On the sixth day, at the supper table, I told the youngest to finish her milk. Big meltdown! I ignored her, and she retreated to the closet to cry and wail loudly. I was irritated and did not react in love. I had so wanted our days to go smoothly. That morning, I had even journalled Psalm 37:5 – "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you." (NLT) But had I done that? When I calmed down, the Holy Spirit showed me that my irritability stemmed from perfectionism, which I thought I had conquered. Hadn't the pastor just said in his sermon that nothing ever goes perfectly when people are involved? The Holy Spirit further showed me that through my expectations, I was ignoring Nelly's real needs.

Philippians 2:3b-4 – Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (NLT)

Valentine's greetings and gifts are great, but real love, God's love, is much different. Let us endeavour to meet others' needs, and not demand our own way or react when our own goals are blocked.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live with Your kind of love, being patient and kind, and seeing the needs of our fellow human beings. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.