Top Ten Ways to be Lame on V-Day

Single on Valentines Day.  Is this you?  It's me.

You know, when you are unattached (but not unloved... read what I wrote last year), you really have a decision to make about your attitude and your posture today because, let's be honest, you know it's V-day.  You can either a.) be grateful for your friends, family, and the God that loves you so much and give that love out to others, b.) be bitter, or c.) be or do something that you'll very likely later regret.  In the cases of b. or c., there are some really (and I mean really) lame things that can be done when you are in categories "b" or "c."  In the interest of transparency, I am not innocent so I'm not only being funny and hoping to keep you from being lame, but I'm also speaking out of past "lameness" experience which I hope that you can avoid next year, if not this year :-).  Here's about 10...

1. Posting a bitter rant about how much v-day sucks on your Facebook account.
   You know, you'd be better off just fasting from Facebook for the day
2. Calling it "Singles Awareness Day" - or abbreviating it to SAD just for effect.
   
   Honestly, hasn't that gotten a little old?
3. Turning down invitations to spend the day with your good friends just because you don't want to "go out" on V-day unless you have a special someone.
4. Posting bitter breakup videos on your Facebook account... especially of one of Taylor Swift's breakup songs... like this one :-)
   
5. Going to one of these "bitter ball" type of evernts and taking someone home on a one night stand.  It's beyond lame... it's wrong.  If you're a Christ-follower, you should know better.
6. Going out on a first date with someone that you met online.  This should be obvious.
   
   I think this has the same effect as buying 1000 lottery tickets on the Powerball jackpot day and then quitting your job
7. Breaking up with your significant other.
   
   Seriously, pick another day to do this... like before V-Day
8. Getting back together with your ex for this one day because neither of you want to spend v-day "alone."
9. Wear black when you go out to make a point
10. Write a blog about being bitter
    
    (like this one... Ha!)

I'm sure that there are others, but the common denominator with all of this lameness is either bitterness, despair, or desperation... two things that should be absent from the lives of any Christ-follower because "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." - 1 John 4:9 (meaning, that the same love God gave us through Christ we are to live out to others). 

Therefore, instead of being "lame," let's live out love and be awesome.  Here are some awesome things that we can do (with or without a significant other), and some I've seen from some of my single friends.

1. Use social media to interject some humor into your friends' day (such as "cheesy pickup lines")
2. Pay it forward at Starbucks for someone
3. Host a social gathering for your single friends and do something fun.
4. Do justice somewhere
5. Encourage someone that may be hurting or struggling today.
   
   You always have something to give.
6. Remind yourself and others that you are fully loved in Christ
7. Give someone you know a smile and a hug
8. Accept someone's cheesy valentines gift... smile and say thank you.  
9. Do something to love on yourself.
   
   You always have you to love.
10. Babysit for your friends with kids so they can go out on a fantastic V-Day date, and you can spoil their kids :-) 

I'm sure there are other ways here too... there's something about choosing joy and choosing to give joy that makes our souls happy.  It's much better than the lame alternative, don't you think? :-)