“Let Love Be Genuine”

As another valentine’s day has come and gone I spent the weekend thinking of what the holiday really means to me. As a child it was by far my favorite day of the school year. I would spend hours decorating my special valentine’s box with glitter glue and delicate shades of pink and purple. Of course I can’t forget about the hours of deliberation that were also spent on choosing the perfect valentines and what candy would accompany your card! Now as college students the only exciting parts of Valentine’s Day are the care packages we hope to receive from our mom’s back home. Whether or not you have a significant other may also change your view on the holiday however this year I came to a new realization for me. Although I feel like it is an extremely over commercialized holiday, and that you should celebrate the love you have for others every day, there is an important lesson to be learned. On Thursday I happened to stumble upon one of my favorite verses in the bible. Roman’s 12:9 says “let love be genuine.” This simple phrase could not be a more perfect reminder of the true meaning of Valentine’s Day to me. It is a day to remember how although the dimension of love can change, there is a underlying quality of love being genuine. Whether you celebrated with the love of your life, your best friend, a new friend, a family member, or your favorite girls I bet you exerted a form of genuine love. God reminds us that every relationship we encounter in life should be rooted in a love that is genuine and from the heart. I hope you all had a wonderful valentine’s day and can continue to build relationships grounded in genuine love.  

-Amanda