Be my Valentine

The 3^rd century brought us Claudius the 2^nd.  He was a blood thirsty Roman Emperor with a taste for war.

In that day,  if a man was engaged or married, the Roman Government was hands off…they could not force them into the Army. Unfortunately, so many men had died in battle, Claudius was having a hard time fielding and sustaining an army.  Being the tyrant he was, Claudius the 2^nd, outlawed engagements and marriage so he could force young men into war.  

These were ruthless decrees and in 269AD, a BRAVE Christian Priest named Valentine, stood up against this dictatorship. Opposing the orders, Valentine continued to marry young couples…anyway. When Claudius discovered these secret ceremonies, he had Valentine jailed and sentenced to death.

While in prison, Valentine, lead the jailer to Christ. In gratitude, the Jailer introduced Valentine to his blind daughter and they fell madly in love.  On the eve of his execution, with no writing instruments available, Valentine is said to have squeezed ink out of some flowers and penned his devotion and love. The card was signed “YOUR VALENTINE.”  The next day, February 14^th, he was executed. Legend has it, when his words of love were read, the blind girl regained her site.  A man so devoted to love that he was willing to lay down his life so that couples could be bonded together. 

John 15:13 says Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Y’all have a great day and GOD bless you.