Thursday, February 11, 2021

Notes of Love

 

I may be a little old fashion in a high-tech society because I collect books.  I’m glad that I do because books are on the endangered species list.  Thanks to all the new electronic gadgets and the evolving smart phone, books will soon disappear.  My publisher has conferred that books are no longer in demand and want my future writings to be in electronic format.

I have a good number of books that the authors have autographed.  I have a signed copy of Herschel Hobbs’ My Faith And Message, which Dr. Hobbs autographed three months prior to his death.  I will never forget my conversation with him at a senior adult retreat at Shocco Springs Baptist Retreat at Talladega, Alabama.  We had some mutual friends.  Dr. Hobbs spent his childhood in north Chilton County a few miles north of where I grew up.

I have several book autographed by Dr. Calvin Miller.  It was Dr. Miller that encouraged me to write.  And his books are special reminders that we were friends and that his passing left an empty spot in my heart.  In his book, The Sermon Maker, Tales of A Transformed Preacher he signed , To Bobby, A Great Friend.  In another, The Book of Jesus,  that he edited he signed, To Bobby from an old, old prof and admirer. Calvin Miller.

I always date the books that I read.  I underline pertinent things that help to write articles such as this one.  I have my own order to how the books are on my shelves and usually can find them without much searching.  I know most of my books by color and size and it drives me bananas when I cannot find one quickly.

Since this is Valentine month, I decided that I would look for some Valentine cards that my children have given me through the years.  I knew that I had some in one of my old Bibles.  Instead, I found a Father’s Day note that Aaron gave me in 1999.  It is a white piece of paper with heart stickers all over it.  On the front, Aaron has written Happy Father’s Day!! in blue and he has drawn a red heart with I love you in it. 

Inside are twenty heart stickers on the left and the sticker page where the hearts were is on the right.  Above the missing heart sticker page Aaron writes, “Your the best dad anyone can have you don’t drink and cuss and I thank you for being a good christian.”  The back page has, “from Aaron I love you always. June 20, 1999

There was a Valentine card from Andy.  It looked like one a small child would draw, but was a published card.  It said, “Dad, here’s a Valentine just to say “I love you.””  The inside reads, “No, I haven’t been drinking and I don’t want to borrow money.  Happy Valentine’s Day.”  Love Andy

Little Valentine Cards from Angel simply say, “Will you be my Valentine.” 

I do not know if children still give Valentine cards at school.  I know I had to give them to classmates that I really did not want to be my Valentine.  There were those little girls that chased me that I really did not need to foster their thoughts about me being their Valentine. There were those pretty, little girls that I had very special Valentine cards.  I took time to write special words to declare my intentions.  Some of those little girls I really thought special felt the same about me as what I felt about the ones I did not want to receive a Valentine.  Well, that’s love.  Sometimes I have wondered, “Did I run too fast and from the wrong girls?” 

My wife Lisa wrote some beautiful love language in last year’s Valentine.  One special line was, “I go to sleep every night knowing that I am loved by you & also that you are my one true love.  I’m lucky I could not outrun her.

 Jesus has sent us a wonderful Valentine card, the Bible.  The Bible is God’s love letter to you and to me.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8 KJV).

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God (1 John 3:1a KJV).

We love him, because he first loved us (1 John 4:19 KJV).

Matthew Henry stated, “As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Savior should continue in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it...Christ’s love to us should direct us to love each other.”

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY and as you might guess; I was not able to find all those hidden Valentines.

 

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