Jesus and Valentine's Day

Yesterday at Youth Alive (YA) I posed the question, "Do you think Jesus likes Valentines Day?" 

-- By this time girls had been getting deliveries of flowers in class-- students (mostly girls) had gotten something from their secret cupid and we had been playing this stupid heart game since first hour -- where the girl had to wear this heart around her neck and not talk to the boy for all day -- if he got her to talk she had to give up her heart -- OF course there were plenty of guys who wanted to win that one!!!  My students (girls) decided it was a sexist game and they were too smart to play--

My guys thought that Valentines day was a lot of pressure on the men -- some even thought that it was pretty much a trap to have a holiday where you had to buy something mushy for that special girl. I warned them that the color or type of flowers they were giving could be saying something more committed than they intended. LOL

My YA kids thought that it was always Valentines Day in Heaven -- 
                       That Jesus did love it and was always about sending us those reminders of how much HE loves us

                             That HE was always talking to God about us                  
                                       We talked through the verse -- "Greater LOVE has no one than he lay down his life for his friends"    --
and I told them of someone who had actually given up her life to save her little nephew from being run over by a car. . .  they thought about WHO might do that for them.

And those cheesy conversation hearts with the lovey dovey slogans --  they spiritualized those:

"No Doubt" -- don't ever doubt my love for you

   "No Way" -- will I let you live without me

       "Party Time" -- that, yes, it is always party time in Heaven and yes,  Jesus DOES love a party. -- we decided that a party He would "work" the room and make sure he connected with EVERYBODY there in a meaningful and deep connecting way. . . HE did show up at weddings --

And for what HE feels about Valentine's Day -- we decided HE wants every day to be Valentine's Day for us -- giving his love notes and messages to our peeps and those he puts in our path.