LOVE is sometimes spelled N.A.I.L.S.

Huh? I can just imagine you saying to yourself. "Love spelled N.A.I.L.S."? Yeah, I know it sounds pretty strange. So let me explain....

This last week we've been doing some remodeling projects here on the Lee homestead. Part of that included ripping out an old deck and throwing all the railing and boards (that were still full of nails) in a huge pile. It was kinda scary looking...and daunting. "You guys ARE gonna pull out all those nails, right?" I asked, as I imagined some poor innocent soul getting snagged at some future date by a rusty nail. "Yep! Sure are!" the men of the house responded. Then the thought hit me, "Hey...I may not be strong enough to rip out boards or tear siding off the deck... but I know how to use a hammer and I can help by pulling out nails!"

So with their permission, and with hammer and crowbar in tow, I set to work. Pretty soon Sue and Irene joined me and we made a party of it. It brought back memories of when I use to help my dad with building projects. Granted, I was never that great at building anything... not like all the men in my family. But I still enjoyed helping as I could... and I did learn to drive a straight nail. So pulling nails is really a piece of cake.

I was kinda chuckling to myself today as we worked away though. You know...none of us gals really dream about "pulling out nails" from pieces of dusty plywood or 2x4's. We don't necessarily dream about getting dirty or making calluses on our hands, or getting sore muscles. But we all pitched in together and did it....WHY?? Well, it's simple. Because of LOVE! We love each other...we love the famiLEE...and we want to help everyone's burden to be lighter.

So...on this day...which just happened to be VALENTINES DAY (my favorite day of the year!)... LOVE for us wasn't giving or getting chocolates or roses (though I think that's what all us girls would have preferred). It wasn't dressing up and trying to look pretty for a dinner date, or reading love letters or sentimental cards. Instead, LOVE was spent helping the famiLEE by pulling N.A.I.L.S...hundreds and hundreds of nails. (I have the calluses to prove it!!)

I could stop here...and you'd get my point! But...as I was thinking about it...this point goes much deeper. (No pun intended.)

Our Savior, not so many thousands of years ago, came to our world to rescue us from the horrible pit of sin that we'd fallen into. He came to minister to us, to give us eternal life, and to teach us of a better home. But what did He get in return?? He got spit upon, He got a crown of thorns upon His head, ultimately...He got N.A.I.L.S. for He was nailed to that cross!! He didn't have to take any of that...He didn't have to endure ANY of that. But He did!! Why?? Because of LOVE...to Him...love meant enduring all of that and so much more. We can't even comprehend what He went through.

So...next time when you see an old rusty nail...don't just pass it by...but remember that even in the most dreary or difficult things of life, even in the ones that sometimes bring pain...there may be a most beautiful lesson for us - that lesson might just be LOVE. But sometimes it's not spelled like we normally like to see LOVE spelled, and so we miss the depth of the message God has for us.

Sometimes things aren't spelled the way we think they should be! But it's for a higher purpose...

• Instead of roses... life is spelled T.H.O.R.N.S.
• Instead of sweet chocolates, it's sometimes spelled S.A.L.T.Y. - T.E.A.R.S.
• Instead of a gentle journey, it's spelled an U.P.-H.I.L.L.-C.L.I.M.B.
• Instead of easy-going, it's spelled H.A.R.D-W.O.R.K.
• Instead of getting spoiled, it's spelled T.O.U.G.H.-L.O.V.E.
• Instead of pleasure, it's spelled S.A.C.R.I.F.I.C.E.
• Instead of staying in Heaven where Christ rightfully belonged...He spelled LOVE:

C.O.M.I.N.G.- T.O.- E.A.R.T.H.- T.O.- R.E.S.C.U.E.- U.S, T.O.- T.A.K.E.- O.U.R.- P.A.I.N, T.O. T.A.K.E.- O.U.R.- T.E.A.R.S...A.N.D.- T.O.- T.A.K.E.- O.U.R.- N.A.I.L.S so that we might have L.I.F.E!!

Wow! I don't understand it...I don't comprehend it...but once again, I am thankful...what a beautiful LOVE!!

"But God commendeth His LOVE towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8

"Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay...in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39

"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye LOVE one another as I have loved you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another." Jn 13:34-35

SO, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY FRIENDS!!