If you are like most people, you love the holiday season. My personal favorite is Christmas, but all of them are a great time to celebrate a special occasion. There is one holiday that is filled with all things hugs, kisses, love, love letters, candy, etc.… you get my point. That's right, Valentine's Day! While this holiday has been marketed pretty much just towards couples, I think it can be a great opportunity to celebrate love in general. However, you may not feel like celebrating love or anything having to do with it. Maybe you just left a relationship you never thought you would, or you are still waiting to be in one. It is so easy to feel alone on a day like Valentine's Day because being single is rarely ever celebrated and especially not on Valentine's Day. Scrolling through social media can feel draining seeing one couple after another, while you are still waiting on the Lord to move in this way or to heal you from a past hurt by someone you thought you would never lose.
As I was reading through Luke in my devotions, I came to chapter 7 where Jesus raises a widow's son. Jesus is with His disciples in a place called Nain. In verses 12-13 it states, "As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." I want to camp out here for a second. The woman in this story is facing unimaginable grief. Not only has she lost her husband, but now her only son. It is mentioned earlier that there was a large crowd, so it would have been very easy for Jesus to not even notice this woman, but that is not the kind of God he is. Not only did he see her it says, his heart went out to her. How amazing is Jesus to empathize with us, his heart goes out to us, even with all the chaos going on around him. He sees this woman, and says "Don't cry."
Reading that brings me such peace because my Heavenly Father knows my emotions and wants to lift me from the tears. As we keep reading in verse 14 Jesus touches the son and says, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" In verse 15 it states, "The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother." Not only did Jesus recognize and sympathize with her emotions, but he lifted her from her place of grief and restored to her what she had lost. That is what he does for his children.
So, how does this story relate to you? I do not know what kind of heartache you are experiencing in this season. Maybe it is as intense as this mother who had lost everything or maybe it is healing from a terrible breakup. In whatever situation applies to your heart today, know that we have a God who does not turn away from grief or heartache, but invites us in and draws us nearer to him for true healing. Jesus has the power not only to heal us but to restore what was lost in our lives. Will you let him do that for you, friend? I invite you to go to the Lord in prayer and layout your burdens and heartaches. He longs to carry these things for us and lead us closer to Him. Do not let this opportunity to heal and grow go to waste, knowing that he is the only one who can truly satisfy our deepest desire for love on this Valentine's Day.