- The Gift of the Magi (a short story by O. Henry..read it here if you have time)
- The Notebook (cliché, I know...#sorrynotsorry)
- You've Got Mail (yes, this would be creepy in real life but it makes for a great movie)
As much as I love these stories, though, they can't even begin to compare to my favorite Love Story of all time. It's a story that begins in darkness, despair, and utter hopelessness (sounds fun, right?). It's a story of pursuit, of redemption, and of grace. It's my story.
Well, that's a little selfish of me. It's not just my story. Believe it or not, it's yours too. Take a moment to imagine your favorite love story. Now wrap your mind around this: that story--the sappiest, sweetest, most lovey-dovey love story you can think of--is nothing compared to this one. I'm telling you--this Story is amazing. Life changing, even. In this Story, we are "the pursued," and our Pursuer is crazy in love with us. So crazy in love that He died for us. Literally. I know I overuse the word "literally" all the time (and often incorrectly), but this time I'm not exaggerating. Our Pursuer literally laid down his life, taking on each of our sins and burdens, for the sole purpose of redeeming us.
Well, that's a little selfish of me. It's not just my story. Believe it or not, it's yours too. Take a moment to imagine your favorite love story. Now wrap your mind around this: that story--the sappiest, sweetest, most lovey-dovey love story you can think of--is nothing compared to this one. I'm telling you--this Story is amazing. Life changing, even. In this Story, we are "the pursued," and our Pursuer is crazy in love with us. So crazy in love that He died for us. Literally. I know I overuse the word "literally" all the time (and often incorrectly), but this time I'm not exaggerating. Our Pursuer literally laid down his life, taking on each of our sins and burdens, for the sole purpose of redeeming us.
Another unique feature of this Story is that it continues today. It began many, many years ago, but it is far from over. In fact, it will never end. God's love for us knows no bounds. It is unconditional and unending. For me, Romans 8:38-39 comes to mind:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus is our Pursuer, and he longs for us to love Him in return. So I urge you, friends, to take comfort in this truth: God's love is sufficient for us. We have done absolutely nothing to deserve His Love and Grace (we've actually done absolutely everything to be completely undeserving of it), yet He loves us anyway. So this Valentine's Day, I hope that you will find peace in knowing how truly loved and treasured you are. Regardless of your relationship status, regardless of whether or not you have a date tomorrow night, take heart! You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of the Universe. And in my opinion, that's a pretty amazing Valentine's Day gift.
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