The Prelude to Valentine's Day

For the past several months, I've been reading this book called The Reason For God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller. I could have easily finished it in one sitting; however, have you ever dove into a book that was SO good, so life-changing, that you never wanted it to end? (I'm talmbout--read a 1/3 of it and start all over--sketch in the margins--take a week off just to reflect on it--type of good.) Hopefully this has happened to you at least once, because it's a dope experience, g.

Well this past Friday, I was in Panera inhaling a Cuban Chicken sammich (which I highly recommend) and I read a quote in Keller's book on the topic of love. I thought it'd be appropriate to share this as Valentine's Day approaches.

"Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation...To love at all is to be vulnerable. We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armour." _C.S. Lewis

Some people are anti-love and anti-Valentine's Day, subsequently. But the fact of the matter is, avoiding love will often times result in a worse emotional state (if you are to be honest with yourself). Love is a risk worth taking! Use Valentine's Day and the days that follow to love without counting the price. Love those who are unlovable. Love under all circumstance. Allow yourself to BE loved. And never settle for any lesser way of love from yourself.