— Chapter Five —
Valentine’s Day. The tears wouldn’t stop rolling down my face this morning. No amount of make-up could stop the tears nor hide the redness around my eyes.
“Everyone I know has someone, God! It’s so hard to face this day. There will be no card, no rose, nothing special for me. Jesus, You must have endured days like this. As You loved others, no one understood Your heart either, and few responded to Your love.”
I gave up trying to hide behind cosmetics. I walked out of the bathroom, cupped my hands over one of the four posters at the end of my bed, and I gazed at Katherine Brown’s pencil sketch of Jesus holding a lamb. I wondered how the lamb must have felt as Jesus held him. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and believed that I was this lamb. With His head near mine, I could almost hear Him whisper...
“I know.”9
“I care.”10
“I’m here.”11
If I were the lamb, perhaps Jesus would gently stroke my head and assure me of His love. “Look at Me, Donna. Don’t you know that I love you? I think about you all the time.12 Allow Me to tell you how very, very special you are, how deeply My love is felt for you. If you’ll listen, I’ll tell you the story again of how I saw you,13 chose you,14 and pursued you15 because I LOVE YOU!16
“I don’t want you to ever grow weary of hearing My love story. If you were with someone special, you would crave quiet intimate moments like this. You wouldn’t want anything or anyone to interrupt. Perhaps music would fill the room as you shared your innermost feelings with that special someone. Why can’t we have such moments, Donna? Let Me be that special Someone in your life!”
Then the Lord reminded me, “Remember, I have loved you with an everlasting love17 not just this Valentine’s Day, but everyday. I will never abandon you—today, tomorrow, or the next.18 I will always remain faithful to you.”19
I tucked away these precious promises and headed for work. As usual, Jim, one of the five attorneys in the office, bounded through the front door. His steps were always heavy but buoyant. Everyone knew when Jim arrived! This morning I overheard him say to the receptionist as he walked through the door, “Here, Kristin, these are for you.” He stopped by Judy’s office. “Here you go, Judy!” From where he was standing, I saw roses cradled in his arms. My station was next. “Here’s a couple of roses for you, Donna.” Station by station he handed out all the roses as he headed toward his office.
It was everything I could do to contain the tears. I couldn’t believe it! The first thing that popped in my mind was my time with God earlier that morning:
“I know.”
“I care.”
“I’m here.”
From the time I was on my knees at home to the time I got to work, God had orchestrated an incredible plan. Jim was prompted to stop by a store and purchase a dozen red roses. No, this couldn’t be just another coincidence. It couldn’t. Even the buzz around the office was that Jim had never done anything like that before.
“Oh God! Thank you for not forgetting me!” I whispered as I filled the flower vase with water. “Jim doesn’t know it, but You had him bring me roses! I do have Someone! I have You!”
Copyright 2001, 2004 Donna Christensen
All rights reserved.
Published Online by: The Biblical Reader
www.biblicalreader.com