When I was single, I dreaded Valentine’s Day. I always felt left out when I saw other ladies flaunt the flowers and cards they had received from their boyfriends/husbands. I still don’t really love the holiday itself, but I do understand the value of telling people that you love them.

Years ago, my husband went on a men’s retreat with our church. The wife collected letters from everyone she could think of in the man’s life. The idea was, if this is your last letter to this man, what would you want it to say? Each man would then receive a packet of letters to read at a certain point at the retreat and see the impact he’d had on others. During this particular retreat, one of the other men (we’ll call him Mark) got a letter from a long-time friend (we’ll call him Frank), along with the news that Frank had been killed in a car accident. The few minutes that Frank took to pen some thoughts to his friend became a special treasure for Mark.

This Valentine’s Day, write a letter to someone you love. It can be romantic or not, but just spend some time praying about a person in your life who needs to hear how you feel about them. If this was your last communication to this person, what would you want to say?

I would encourage you to give the letter to the person if he or she is still living. Post it to your blog if you wish. If the letter is too personal, just blog about the experience. Encourage your audience to do the same. And while you’re at it, send a special letter to your sponsored child!

“And now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13, NKJV