A Valentine Gift

When I was 12 years old my dad came in the house on Valentine’s Day and handed me and my mom, each, a beautifully wrapped box. They were about the same size and both wrapped identically. He stared at them both for a long time and then - with a curious look in his eye - handed one to my mom and one to me.

We were both so excited! My mom ripped into hers first and pulls out a box of Electric Youth perfume. My dad immediately saw the problem. I ripped into mine next and pulled out a bottle of Chanel No. 5. My eyes were huge! I had wanted Electric Youth (duh!) but I knew that Chanel No. 5 was what the big girls wore. My mom would only ever spray it on herself when we walked through Dillard’s at Christmastime; I knew it was the good stuff. I also knew it was something we could rarely afford.

We stood frozen for a minute until my mom finally said, “Melissa, I think your daddy made a…” and as she reached to take the perfume bottle from my hand, my dad stopped her. “No, Annette,” he said, “I want her to have it. You know I love you and I’ll buy you another bottle of Chanel tomorrow, if you want it. But I love seeing her eyes this big. I want her to know that she can always expect good gifts from her dad.”

Maybe this Valentines day you are stuck in the house with Covid. Maybe you’re spending it alone. Maybe it’s the first Valentines Day you will spend without a partner or a mother or a best friend. Maybe, like my daughter Remi, the only chocolate covered strawberries you’ll be receiving are the ones you sent to yourself. Maybe there won’t be any champagne or shenanigans…or Chanel No. 5.

But if you will humor me for one moment…

You still have a Father who longs to give you good things. He loves to see your eyes light up and He makes sure the best is set aside just for you.

I know it hasn’t felt like it lately. I know you crawled through 2021 on your bare hands and you still feel like you are on oxygen here at the start of 2022. I know. Even better, He knows.

But He has not finished passing out good gifts.
He has not finished making sure the best is set aside for you.
He has not stopped pushing all the hands away that would try and take what He has set aside just for you.

Maybe this Valentines Day you get up just long enough to brush your teeth and crawl right back under the covers. Sometimes it’s like that, that’s okay. But if you’re reading this then I hope you know that you don’t have to walk through the fancy stores and look at the happy couples and dream about what might one day - someday - be yours.
He sees, He knows.
He is madly in love with you.
And nothing you desire is lost on Him.

This Valentine’s Day, you are not alone. There are gifts set aside just for you….and, oh, how he loves to see your eyes light up!

All my love,

Melissa