Ah, February! For many, if not most, our thoughts turn to Valentine's Day, placed conveniently in the middle of a month with not much else to celebrate. For much of the U.S. and Canada, February is firmly in the grip of winter and it sure is nice to have a warm, fuzzy day in the middle of the month to warm our hearts.

Magazines and store displays abound with pink and red hearts, candy, and gifts intended to communicate to that special someone how special they really are. I have always been drawn to cards. As a writer I pay a lot of attention to words. My brother Jimmy once remarked that I read more greeting cards than the quality control people at Hallmark!

Cards attempt to say what many of us have difficulty saying for ourselves. Being the analytical kind of guy that I am I wonder about that. And being the opinionated guy that I am, I have come up with an answer! No, seriously, read on and see if this doesn't make sense.

Many marriage books and authors allude to the apparent fact that the vast majority of women want one thing from their spouse. It takes different forms; meaningful touch, conversation, gifts, quality time, etc., but at their core the thing women most want from their spouses is intimacy. They want to know and be known on a deep level. Women are very relational. I realize that's no revelation, but I think it is a revelation to state that men are, too, they just don't know it!

We men dance around the edges of relationship watching a football game with the guys or any number of other activities that require relationship. But we don't want to be classified as anything not macho, and somehow intimacy has illegitimately fallen into the category of feminine. 

The same is true of our relationship with Christ. We'll attend Bible studies and gain head knowledge, we'll serve and serve in various capacities, and those are wonderful things. 

But what does the Bible say the Father is after? The answer is found in two places. In Isaiah 26:9 the word says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong to those whose heart is loyal to Him."  And John 4:23 says, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." What is God after? Intimacy! 

Out of an intimate relationship with Him comes acts of service that are not just responses to a perceived need but are Spirit-led and require much less organization than all of our best laid plans. Out of intimacy with Him comes a hunger and thirst for more of Him and His word, not just another to-do I can check off my list. May I remind you that we are not human doings, but human beings?

When husbands and wives are physically intimate, what is the result? Babies! God gives us the awesome responsibility and privilege of being co-creators of eternal beings! And what is the result of intimacy with the Lord? Ministries are born! Kingdom vision is gained! Lives are changed! God births something in us that is supernatural and transcendent.

So, what does this have to do with Valentines Day? Well, simply this: Guys, our wives desire to know you and be known at the deepest possible level. And so does God. Ladies, God desires to know you and be known by you and in a way that only He can.

I realize not everyone is a writer and many people have difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings in a way that seems authentic. So, go buy a card. Just make sure it says what you would say if you could. And realize that the goal of those relationships is intimacy. Forget perfection. That will never happen as long as we're breathing. But make the attempt to get closer to your spouse and to God by just being in their presence, your attention completely focused on them. It's what God desires. It's what your spouse desires. It is the thing for which we are created! 

Question and comments can be directed to Billy@BillyBlackwood.com., or to