You were created to give your heart away!

I came across this wonderful excerpt today from one of my favorite authors, Henry Nouwen. Take a moment to meditate on the idea that we were designed to give our hearts away.... designed to have them filled by God.

Stop Being a Pleaser

You have to let your father and Father figures go. You must stop seeing yourself through their eyes and trying to make them proud of you. For as long as you can remember, you have been a pleaser, depending on others to give you identity.
You need not look at that only in a negative way. You wanted to give your heart to others and you did so quickly and easily.
But now you are being asked to let go of all these self-made props and trust that God is enough for you. You must stop being a pleaser and recalim your identity as a free self.

The Inner Voice of Love
Henry Nouwen

The day after ....

Valentine was a dirty word in my past. I NEVER had a date and only received cards from my mother. The day epitomized the failure of my love life. During college a few of my single girlfriends made a pack to spend Valentine's eve together. We made it special, dressed up and enjoyed each others company. But I won't lie, I hated the reminder that I was dateless. For fifteen years I have had a Valentine. He is wonderful: unconditionally loving. He celebrated with me when I was skinny and when I wasn't. He talked to my belly when we were pregnant and celebrated my postpartum figure while enjoying our little gifts from God.

This year Valentine's Evening was spent in a unique way. We had a family dinner. We did our gift exchange with our kids. I gave him twizlers and he gave me a new desk chair (to help with my posture). The girl's did a Valentine's serenade complete with an umbrella and Perry's old hat. We later shared dinner with our friends and talked about our love languages and favorite memories.

Our evening wrapped up late. No time or energy for more romance. The next morning, after kids were at school and a few hours of work.. our creative sex life came alive. Post-romp, I laid wrapped up in our red sheets and found a satisfied smile. Who says love, romance, and Valentine's Day needs to fit a formula. It is the unexpected moments and unbridled passion that counts. NO matter what day it is shared on!