Reclaiming Valentine's Day
By Sarah Beliveau
❤️ For all my fellow Christ-loving “single” folk out there! Looking toward Valentine’s Day, I am struck with a thought. Too often the day gets looked at and raises the question “Do I have a romantic someone with whom to celebrate ... or not?” But what if we looked at it with a different perspective?St. Valentine (who was in fact a single man who was martyred) was celebrated because he defied Caesar’s edict forbidding young people to marry. He recognized the IMPORTANCE and VALUE of marriage, and the FAMILY model that the Christian life represents. He was arrested and killed because he performed wedding ceremonies! He was willing to go to his DEATH defending the beautiful covenant of marriage.Fly forward to present day. I find myself wondering why it is that single people often feel left out on this very special holiday. Granted, I think society has certainly glorified the “romantic” relationship. But what if we, as mature Christ followers, promoted a different perspective? What if we celebrated the beauty of this Family Jesus came to establish?What if, as single people, we used our freedom to show just how much we value the Family?What if we used this valuable freedom to BLESS some of our married-with-children friends and watched their lovely offspring so they could get some much-needed and probably not-often-gotten “alone time”?What if we took time to let Jesus, the best Valentine to ever exist, take our hearts on a date? He will NOT disappoint as a date, I assure you!I for one feel the most loved when I am serving those I love ... when I am living for a God who SO LOVES the Family that He came, died, and rose again to establish this Family, this Body, as His own representation on earth!THAT makes me feel loved. To be a part of His Body. And know that as I love my family, I too am being loved. As I celebrate marriage, even though it is not my own, I revel in one of God's most beautiful gifts. And definitely one worth fighting for! ❤️
WELCOME, FRIENDS. I’m Sarah Beliveau, a creative soul who loves Jesus! I’m most interested in seeing the gospel lived in the everyday moments, and I long to express beauty and truth through the creative arts. I live life together with an amazing community, in the perfect (well, in my ever so humble opinion) New England region. I am a chronic pain overcomer, traveling hair stylist, mental-health advocate and caretaker, mentor, artist and designer, aspiring actress, writer, and basically lover of all things creative. I’m so thankful you’re here, traipsing together through the wild journey we call life. You’re loved, and oh so welcome.Sarah is a member of by design’s WeConnect Leadership Team. Read more about WeConnect!