This past weekend we celebrated a special day, that for a lot of us, we look forward to, and some of us not so much: Valentine’s Day.

Growing up, I remember my parents giving me a Whitman’s candy sampler every year for my Valentine’s Day present. I looked forward to opening it up and finding my beloved chocolate covered coconut candies inside. I knew just the section to look for it in and it just made my heart happy.

As I grew into an adult, my heart grew in love and anticipation for something to fill it up like those experiences as a child.

Instead, at times it got broke, hurt, clouded and a lot of times, a muddy mess. Can you relate?

By the time I hit my early 30’s, I was so broken and never thought I could be happy or satisfied again. Divorces, financial ruin, addictions had muddied up my heart.

Yes, I grew up in a Christian home, but we all make choices and sometimes when they are the wrong ones, we have to pay hard consequences for them.

But, let me share the wonderful flip side to this.

This year for Valentine’s Day, my husband, Jim, bought me a very tarnished $2 silver heart box.

When he gave it to me, he was excited because he thought it was beautiful and wanted me to have it. Instead of looking at him and saying, “Yuck, this is tarnished, this is cheap, I don’t want it,” I found my silver polishing cloth and started to steadily polish it.

I was so happy to have a new heart, even though very tarnished, I tried my best to clean it up. I succeeded on parts of it but I just could not do it all by myself. I was worn out from the hard hand polishing.

He gently took it out of my hand and said “Let me help you.”

He took it and put all of his might into helping to finish polishing that heart.

Oh, how it shines now and it has a very special place in our home.

That’s exactly where we are, friends. We are God’s most beloved heart, and He wants to take us home. Just like that tarnished heart, He wants to clean you up and make you shine again.

You cannot polish it up by yourself. It takes two.

Let Him have that cloth and rest in Him that He is making you new again.

The same thing is true about marriage. I am so thankful for my husband. God blessed me with him after we went through some heartbreaking divorces beforehand.

God hates divorce. But, He gives us great grace and new love. He will never, ever give you another person’s spouse. While two people are married they have spouses. God will not give you something that doesn’t belong to you.

But what He does give is Rescue and Eternal Deliverance. Walk in R.E.D., my friends.

My new book is launching this year. It is called “Walking In Red Boots.” It is for women.

It is my personal autobiography and testimony of how God, through His grace, brought me out of a muddy mess.

I was a woman at the well, a possessed woman and a prodigal daughter all wrapped into one.

I will keep the community updated on it and announce book signings in the area.

I pray it will bless women. I know that God will use it as a tool to help them with struggles that they have that they feel they are alone in.

Just remember when you start to examine your heart, and it is filled with hurt and pain, He alone is sufficient. He is enough to shine you up and shine through you to bless others.

Just hand Him that polishing cloth that you are worn out from trying to do by yourself.

I know, He did it for me, He can and will do it for you. Remember, It Takes Two.

Amanda Ackerman is a women’s ministry leader and speaker from Luverne.