You can enjoy Valentine's Day almost any day in your garden or on a nature walk. You just have to know what to look for!

Hearts – the universal symbol of love and Valentine’s Day. From the physical organ pumping within each of us to the man-made representations in our culture, the heart is so ever-present it has become a symbolic part of our alphabet, possibly the 27th letter. It’s emblazoned on buttons, t-shirts, coffee mugs and bumper stickers, a bright red symbol that proclaims our love for everyone and everything from Mom to skydiving.

But, hearts aren’t always red or available only on Valentine’s Day or other romantic occasions. Have you ever wandered through a garden, forest, or a field of wildflowers and noticed the valentines from God? Tucked among the beauty and fragrance of the flowers and plants, God has shared “love notes” to us with heart-shaped leaves and flowers in a variety of colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes. They’re everywhere!

Roses, morning glories, moon flowers, caladiums, hostas, impatiens, violets, geraniums, and ivy – that’s just the short list. Scalloped leaves and petals like doilies, frilly ones in a rainbow of colors with striped or variegated colors, velvety or satiny – each is a personal “I love you” message from God. Even towering trees and lowly weeds wear heart-shaped leaves or flowers with that same message of love. From flowers to trees and even weeds, God’s message of love is for each of us, often as simple and obvious as a heart-shaped leaf or petal.

In the stillness and beauty of a garden, God’s presence speaks to each of us in a rich bouquet of valentines from elegant roses to lowly weeds. Whenever you need a reminder or assurance of God’s love, take a walk through a garden, the woods, a field, or even a city park. Stop and smell the roses – and all the other flowers, and look for God’s valentines of love. Always you will find God where you most expect Him, but sometimes in the most unexpected ways! Happy Valentine’s Day – every day – from God in the garden!