Taking Valentine's Day For Granted

Big heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. Red roses, with baby's breath. Songs by Michael Buble and Simply Red (well, if you remember the 80s). Big Hallmark cards with syrupy sentiments.

There you go. A short course in romance. Guaranteed to make women feel wanted, and to get men...well, to get men the feeling that they may get what most men want most.

It's fun, I suppose, for both sexes, as long as the attention comes from the right person.

But why not celebrate Valentine's Day all year long?

No, not with the chocolates and cards. Acne, weight gain, and a longing for AC/DC will be the likely result/ But how about things that really demonstrate love?

How about keeping your spouse's car washed, and the oil tank fresh and full, and the tires checked?

How about watching the kids during this week's NASCAR race, without complaint, or even mentioning it?

How about having coffee ready to go in the morning, so all you have to do is plug in the machine to fill the house with that delicious "morning" smell?

How about making sure that when your spouse goes to take out the trash, it's already been done, and she never knew when?

"But I do a lot of that already! And he takes it for granted! He never even mentions it!"

Didn't Jesus say that we're supposed to do our good deeds in secret, that if we publicize them they don't count?

And don't we take, say, the air we breathe for granted? Isn't it a blessing, to have something that God supplied for us to breathe, without having to think about it?

"Granted" means "given". And is it such a bad thing to give a gift, and to have to received? Do you really have to have a "gift" of recognition in return?

Jesus gave us the gift of eternal life, and all He wanted was that we receive it.

Not that we make coffee for Him in return.