Stealing things on Valentine's Day

One of my most favorite books is Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller.  I read this book back in 2005ish and it has remained at the top of my favorite books list the whole time.  If you haven't read it yet, trust me - go get the book and read it.  Don't ask questions, just do it.

Today's blog post from Donald Miller reminded me why I love the book so much.  I distinctly remember reading the part of the book that Donald references (without referencing his own book in his blog) in the post.  I have linked it on the blog but in case you are the anti-blue link person, I have also inserted it into this post... 

"I used to not like Valentine’s Day all that much. It’s not like I was bitter or anything, I just felt especially single on that day. 
It’s like I was a normal guy all year, then suddenly I was extremely, extremely single.

Ever felt that way?

And if I were more honest, more self aware, perhaps I’d have known then I was a little lonely. I didn’t feel lonely, but looking back, I felt a little incomplete.

Somtimes you don’t know you have a tootheache until the dentist fixes it.

I wish I’d known then, though, the loneliness and feelings of awkwardness were serving a terrific purpose.

Did you know God actually wants you to feel incomplete and lonely for a season?

It’s true. I know it stinks, but that’s exactly what He wants.

If you read through Genesis, you’ll notice God makes man and then, much later, makes a woman. And so for a long season, God made one of the sexes go without the other. By design.

So in the text, God sees Adam and Adam can’t find a helpmate suitable. He’s lonely. He’s incomplete, in a way.

But after God states clearly Adam is lonely and incomplete, HE DOESN’T PROVIDE A MATE! No kidding. He actually ramps up the tension. He actually makes Adam’s loneliness worse!

Instead of proving a mate, God tells Adam to name the animals. And it turns out, that’s a lot of work. There were thousands of species, likely, so we are talking about a year, maybe two, maybe even ten years or more of life without a soul mate and a partner.

And it was worse than you and I can imagine. It’s not like he forgot to get Eve’s number after her met her. She didn’t even exist. In fact, no women existed. He couldn’t even imagine what it was he was pining for.

In Adam’s story, none of the animals were meeting his deep needs. The monkeys were entertaining but terrible conversationalists. And the house cat wouldn’t even make eye contact.

And after all that work and time and loneliness, God put Adam to sleep. After years of allowing Adam to feel lonely, God created Eve.

And it’s a moving scene. For the first time in Scripture, the text breaks into poetry. Adam says, “Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” 

He’s saying:
She’s like me! She’s like me!

Would Adam have broken into song if he hadn’t had to experience pain and suffering? It’s doubtful. We tend to value most that which we have to work to attain.

Today, I value my sweetheart so much more because of all the confusion and hardship I had to endure being single. I don’t talk about my romantic life much because it’s hard to read gossip about yourself on the internet. But I will say, all the hardship was worth it. She’s like me, indeed.

On Valentine’s Day, when the hard feelings come, just know they came to Adam. And they only ended up blessing him in the end.

I hope you name animals with dignity, excellence, patience and humility.

People who have this attitude about waiting for and searching for their soulmate make the best soulmates anyway, right? I mean isn’t that the kind of person you want to be with – somebody who puts themselves out there, is happy for others, and has patience and trust that somebody great (that somebody being YOU) is out there being just as positive as they are?

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody. God be with you today."

When Donald wrote, so poignantly, about Adam having to name the animals, and being lonely the whole time, I saw the Scripture in a new and romantic way.  I do believe that some people are never going to get married or be in a long-term committed relationship.  Some people are made to be single and that is OK.  For those of us who are made for companionship... there is a season of loneliness and that is OK.

Today is a day to celebrate love.  Sure, Hallmark (and every other store for that matter)  makes a ton of money from this day, but that doesn't make it any less special or magical. Take time today to let your people know that they are loved. Tell your friends and family that they matter. Show them that you care. Celebrate love. Even if you are single. You never know, it may be your last Valentine's Day as a single person... Don't waste it.