My most memorable Valentine's Day was spent in a hospital. Emily Fu had the idea of bringing some care to people in the waiting room. We brought homemade chocolate-dipped strawberries and gave them out to folks. We offered to sit and listen with people and pray with them.
I remember meeting a middle-aged couple. They were regulars in that waiting room. Their 19-year old son had been in a car accident several weeks past, and they were waiting to visit him again. I asked about their son, about the circumstances of the accident, about his dreams and quirks and ideas. They were heavy with emotion, grateful that he is still alive but worried over the real possibility that he may never walk again. I prayed a prayer of comfort and peace with them, then said my farewells.
Many people spend Valentine's Day trying to find someone who will make them feel good. But visiting that waiting room reminded me that sometimes, true satisfaction comes in bringing comfort and hope to another. The longer I spend contemplating my own feelings of loneliness, the further I get from lasting happiness.
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