Little Moments: Thoughts on Valentine's Day

I hope you enjoyed your Valentines Day! This post was written slowly, throughout the day yesterday, born from my musings. Whether you're married or single, I pray it blesses you too.

Photo by Taylor Cutrer

2/14/20 (Valentines Day, 2020)

So... I spent this morning sitting alone at a doctor's office on a slick, cold leather bench, waiting on blood tests and feeling sick from fasting and the sugary glucose drink. I know I'll probably be feeling a little yucky the rest of the day. Daniel is doing the work-from-home dad thing this morning and we aren't going to be able to dress up and go out tonight. Quite the romantic Valentine's Day, wouldn't you say? :)

I'd be tempted to feel a little blue except that this crazy day is making me chuckle. (Yeah, I'm just glad my pregnant hormones decided to go that route.)

Besides, I know that everyday romance hinges on little things.

Sure, dressed-up date nights, roses and cute kisses are loads of fun! I fully intend to get my fill Saturday night. :) If you are blessed with a great relationship with a special someone, anniversaries and holidays are opportunities to lavishly celebrate the blessings God has given you.

But let's not ever take for granted the little things of everyday. To borrow a phrase from Ruth Chou Simons, "I'm preaching to myself today and maybe a little to you, too?"

I've been thinking about marriage specifically today because of the holiday, but really, we can think this way about all of our relationships, whether you are married or single.

I feel like the theme of my life right now centers around "little things." Seeing beauty in them. Never taking them for granted. I had a conversation just last week with a friend about the concept of everyday worship and what it means to revel in the beauty that God has tucked into our everyday moments. The daily messes of life point us to our insufficiency. Even that is beautiful because grace is sufficient, and grace is beautiful.

Little grace moments in a relationship stem from seeking to look to the cross together, every single day, in spite of and because of our imperfections. They may look like sacrificing something to serve the other or stopping for a kiss in a kitchen full of dirty dishes. Asking forgiveness and seeking to live the gospel in small acts of service and words of kindness.

It's about being in the middle of a disagreement, and suddenly remembering we'd just rather be friends. It's about giving the first hug when that happens. It's about working as a team and being in each other's corners. Choosing to stop what we're doing and look in each other's eyes and listen. Holding hands because life is unexpected.

And this Valentine's Day, our third as husband and wife, it's becoming more and more clear to me that this is the place true, breathtaking romance thrives.

Do we do it perfectly? Not even close. But we're learning together.

Ann Voskamp said it so well in this Instagram post:

"Marriage is the art of finding each other, though you've lost each other a thousand times. Every day you lose the person you are, and I am, because this is what it means to grow. You are becoming and I am becoming, and somehow we have to keep turning and coming to each other. The whole of marriage turns on The Turn. The Turns come tender and small and can't afford to be missed: It's you turning to mention what happened today and me turning to really listen to what you're saying between the words, and it's me turning to brave a bit of my heart and you turning to make me seen. If we miss each other's turns -- we eventually lose each other. ... It's never too late to make us-turns."

What are some ways that you try to focus on what's important with your loved ones?