My "Secret" Valentine

It was the end of a long day. My husband had left for a church men's retreat right after breakfast. My solo time with the kids went well, but I was ready for bed myself when the last child finally kissed me good night.

But first, a chance to soak in the tub.

When I felt sufficiently relaxed, I wrapped a towel around me, climbed out of the tub, and slid on my glasses. That was when I saw it. 

With the steam swirling in the room, it could have been a trick of the light. I stepped closer to the mirror. I was almost sure that there were letters written on the glass. I shifted my angle. Yes! Mysteriously appearing on the mirror was this message, "I love you."

Hmmm…, I thought, intrigued. 

But fatigue was overtaking me. I finished dressing, flossed and brushed my teeth, and prepared to crawl into bed. And then, I saw it again!

On my fuzzy blue blanket were letters, difficult to see in the light, but clearly written by someone's hand. I could just make out the words: "I love you very much."

I wonder…, I thought again, before a hippo-sized yawn escaped my mouth. I laid down and snuggled into my blankets. Time for some zzz's. 

But then, my hand discovered something under my pillow. I unfolded the piece of paper and read "I love you more today than yesterday." This, I knew, was no accident. My husband had cleverly left me notes to remind me of his love while he was away. Feeling secure and well-loved, I settled back into my bed and drifted to sleep with a smile on my lips.

This story is actually fictitious (sorry if I disappoint you!). I do find hidden messages every now and then, but never so many at once. It was after finding such a message on my blanket one day that I got the revelation that God is very much like my "secret" valentine. He writes "I love you" not in letters but in His creation: a flying egret, a sprouting seed, an ocean's wave. People may argue that nature is all a matter of chance, but I see complexities and order that can only be the sign of a Creator. Just as letters cannot appear by themselves on a mirror, life cannot exist without an author. 

Then there is the note under the pillow. God gave us a note–the Bible–to send His message to us, loud and clear. If I can't see God in His creation, I can read about His love in the Bible. So God, my "secret" valentine, is not so secret after all, if I take the time to look for Him. He is saying "I love you!" everyday and everywhere.

Have you met your "secret" valentine yet?