The postal workers are already aching. The gift shops are counting the profits. The flowers are flying off the petrol station forecourts... Yes, it's Valentine's Day this week.
While you might be sending a romantic card or present to your significant other, maybe it's a good time to think about sending a few more as well. Not romantic cards, but cards which show the other kinds of love and appreciation we should be all about, as Christians.
Here we suggest five people who may well go unnoticed much of the time but who make all of our lives massively enriched.
1 The person who is at every prayer meeting
There's one of these people in most churches. They may not be the most practical person or even the most visionary. But they're among the most faithful. You can be sure that if there's a prayer meeting, they'll be there for as long as it lasts. We need these people not because of their skills, but because they remind us to prioritise seeking God and spending time in prayer.
2 The Person who is always doing the cleaning
It's so easy to forget that without the people who clean and tidy our churches, we'd be far worse off. A welcoming environment for new people is only made possible by the hours spent doing the unglamorous and sometimes downright disgusting jobs. We need these people because without them we'd be a whole lot less comfortable.
3 The person who always wants to talk
Sometimes you need to talk on a deep level and sometimes you don't. This person isn't nosey and doesn't pry, but you know that if there's a time when you need a listening ear they will be there. Not only that, but you can also rely on this person to look you in the eye, give you their whole attention and not try to fix everything before they've truly listened.
4 The person who does the accounts
This is one of those hidden jobs that only gets recognised if things go wrong. But where would we be without it? As stewards of the money which we all put in to run them, these people are vital. They also happen to be in possession of skills which are astounding to the rest of us! Those of us who can barely work out our own bank accounts salute the church accountants everywhere!
5 The person who sends cards to other people
Most churches have someone whose default mode is encouragement. They may show it in any number of ways, from a quick text message to a quiet word after the service. They may even send cards themselves. This person may just need a bit of encouragement themselves, though. This could be the perfect week to encourage the encourager and show them some love.
(6 The pastor!)
The pastor won't of course go unnoticed. But the amount and variety of work that s/he does will often mean that not many people get to see it all. Visiting the sick, preparing sermons, greeting people, endless meetings and much more make up the daily grind. It can all be fun, but why not bless the person who makes a whole lot of it happen...
