What’s the secret to a great Valentine’s day? It’s not what you or I would think. It’s not about candy, flowers, or even finding that prince charming. Plus, I realized again that it’s not even about myself.
Two years ago, our church decided to change Valentine’s Day from a commercialized holiday into a day of compassion, showing God’s love to the forgotten and unloved. So, continuing the tradition, some of our college students and staff from Koinonia visited the Marina Garden Nursing Center. It’s a place that I pass by all the time on my way towards the freeway or back home, and I never thought much of that place until yesterday.
A lot of us felt awkward in the beginning because we didn’t know how to approach the residents who were bedridden or in wheelchairs, but slowly we felt more comfortable to initiate conversations or to hold their hands. The students went door-to-door making room visits and handing out gifts, which was a fleece blanket and a framed Bible verse. Even though we couldn’t communicate with many of the residents because of language barriers, all of them smiled and kept saying, “Thank you” over and over again.
Our visit was only for a short time, but I think we all came away feeling different. In the words of one of the students, it was worth the visit even if we had made one person feel loved. Even though these people may be forgotten by their families and the world, they were not forgotten by God, and we had the chance to tell them this.