The Love Challenge

This morning I went through the mental exercise I often go through: "I should really take time off of Facebook. The negativity makes me so grumpy." Yes,but what about the connections, the prayers, the little glimmers of hope you also find there? And the adorable otter video you saw yesterday? Totally worth it. And then I ran across this article by a lovely coworker of my husband's, and my faith in Facebook was restored--it gives me access to things I wouldn't otherwise know about that are worth reading. Stephanie writes about changing her focus from "woe is me, I have no boyfriend on Valentine's Day" to focusing on receiving and giving love for the month, the same way we focus on thanks in the month of November.

And it got me thinking. What if I spent this month looking for ways to love others? What if I made a conscious effort to express love not just to my husband (although that's important) this Valentine's Day but also to my children, my friends, and those outside my usual circle of contacts? What if I hopped on Facebook looking to see if I could encourage someone rather than just be entertained (or annoyed)? What if every day for the month of February I made myself write down not just three things I'm thankful for (God's expressions of love to me), but also one way I went out of my way to show love to someone? And what if I challenged myself to show love in ways that are hard, that require some sacrifice?

So there you have it, the challenge I'm laying down for myself. I better get started on planning and brainstorming. Care to join me in this challenge?