A Valentine Surprise

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.”

—Psalm 16:9

I told her “no.”

But here I was, two hours later, asking myself, Do you really want to spend Valentine’s night alone? I already knew the answer, but I worried about the impending winter storm. Should I really travel the distance in my car with malfunctioning heat? All the newscasters were warning viewers of the dangerous “feels like” temperatures.

But it’s sunny now. Leave while there’s still daylight, and you’ll keep warm in the sun, I tried to convince myself, And dress in layers and bring a blanket and pray.

But I should stay and work more on my writing, I argued.

I had just finished the Afterword for the devotional I was writing. Now I was scrolling through the Facebook news feed, trying hard not to envy all my friends who were spending Valentine’s with their sweethearts and showing off their lovely bouquets of roses.

I had hoped this year would be different for me, for God knows I've prayed about my situation over and over again. One of the hardest parts about being single—and an empty-nester—is not getting hugs on a regular basis. There are times when my craving for affection is like an extreme thirst—like how I get after taking some of my medicine, which makes my tongue as dry as dust . Try as I might, I just can’t quench the thirst. 

Scratch-Off Calendar

All the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I’d even lived one day.

—Psalm 139:16

 

I already knew what was beneath, but still I watched closely as my father dragged a coin across the label, scratching away the surface. 

“Banana split.” 

“But where does he go to get his banana split?” my mother asked. 

“He doesn’t have to go anywhere,” I explained, “I have all the fixings in the car.” 

As I sliced bananas and scooped ice cream, I explained how the 30-day calendar worked, “Some days you win a surprise, other days a special message, prayer, or thought.” 

“When do I scratch off the label?” Dad asked. 

“First thing in the morning each day, but you have to give me till the end of the day to deliver. And no going ahead!” I laughed. 

Hoping my father would enjoy the anticipation of surprises, I created “Dad’s Lot O’ Surprises Scratch-Off Calendar” as a Father’s Day gift that would extend beyond the special day. And since I know my father has an affection for sweets, most of his surprises are sweet treats. Shhh! Let’s keep that a secret, though!