When Healing Doesn't Look Like a Valentine...

Valentine's Day has never been my favorite holiday. My history has given me many reasons not to celebrate what many see as the most romantic day of the year. I'm not big on romance. I'm big on survival. The most romantic thing I’ve ever done was get married—and that didn’t turn out so well, as it happens. But for a few years, it really was good. For a little while, I knew what it felt like to be loved. And being part of a couple suited me well at that time of my life. Then things took a turn and everything changed.

For many people, this time of year brings up feelings of loss and loneliness. Reminders of complicated relationships. Of things that didn’t turn out the way we hoped. While everyone else is getting flowers and candy, we're ordering ourselves pizza and wings and watching reruns of Friends while we avoid leaving the house. Heaven forbid we stumble into a gathering of couples at our local Applebee's. Who needs that?

Although it’s a terrible time to sit and brood over our singledom, it’s actually a powerful time to work on healing. It's a fantastic time to think about what really makes us happy and what we want our lives to look like, whether we are with someone or on our own. And in spite of our friends' and family's prodding to get out there and meet someone, we can politely decline and be secure in knowing our time is being better spent "making repairs" at home than in looking for someone to join us in admiring the aftermath of our past hurts.

This week, I'm going to focus on how we can start to choose the things that will bring healing energy into our lives instead of seeking out more of what hasn't worked. I like to think of this month as an even better time than New Year's to start doing a new thing. This is a time to feel empowered and to start building something better. If you’re looking for stories that meet you where you are and help you take a step forward, you’ll find them in our Shop. And above all else, remember that God loves you...even if He hasn't sent you flowers.