Happy Heart Day

(nice story) By Jewell Johnson

Wednesday was Valentine's Day - the day of the girls' Bible club meeting. As the club's sponsor, I planned to make "heart day" special. I baked chocolate cupcakes and decorated them with candy hearts. The girls would trade homemade valentines. During craft time we'd sew calico hearts on pink cloth to make a wall hanging.

But I wanted to do more. Pre-teen girls can be critical of their friends. Valentine's Day was my chance to help them see the good in each other. I decided the girls would trade valentines of a different sort. Not lacy cards with printed verses, but spoken valentines - words of appreciation from their hearts.

When I got to class I had second thoughts. While the regular girls chatted and laughed together, a new girl, Julie, sat hunched at the end of the table. Should I scrap my Valentine idea? What positive words could Julie say to girls she doesn't know?

I had further doubts when I noticed Brandy in class. Three months earlier a dog had attacked her, tore her left cheek leaving a large, jagged, red scar on her flawless complexion. The wound had healed but the scar ate at Brandy's confidence. She often covered her left cheek with her hand.

She tended to turn her face and look sideways when speaking to people. Usually a confident girl,now at times I saw confusion in her eyes at times. Should I risk someone making a thoughtless remark about Brandy's scar?

Despite of my doubts, I decided to go ahead.
"Valentine's Day is a time to show love and appreciation for our friends," I told the girls. "I want you to think of something you appreciate about the girl next to you and tell her. It will be a spoken Valentine. I'll begin."

I turned to Brenda. "I appreciate your faithful attendance in Girls' Club,Brenda. You work to memorize the Bible verses and you have a great attitude." Brenda thought a moment. She looked at the girl next to her. "You are real friendly and have a nice smile."

Without hesitation Justine turned to Julie, the new girl. "You seem like a nice person, someone I'd like to have for my friend." The girls' remarks were sincere. The Valentine idea was working. It was Julie's turn. What will she say to Brandy, a girl she hadn't met until today?

Julie turned to Brandy with a glowing smile and said, "You're so pretty!"
"Oh!" Brandy gasped. Her hand began to raise to cover her scarred cheek. Instead she dropped her hand to her side. Brandy's eyes shone. She straightened in her chair. Smiling, she turned to give the girl beside her a valentine.

Did Julie see the scar? No doubt she did. But God allowed her to see more. Her valentine assured Brandy that true friends see beyond scars and flaws. With the heart, they see the heart.
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Be sure that you let people know how much they mean to you;
Take that time to say the words before your time is through.
Be sure that you appreciate everything you've got
And be thankful for the little things in life that mean a lot.