The Gift

For the believer in Jesus, every trial of suffering is an opportunity to grow in the faith, to grow in our relationship with the Lord, and to see Him work in our lives in a uniquely personal way that demonstrates His compassion, His comfort, His tender mercies, His loving kindnesses, His grace, and His endless love. Only God knows what each of us needs to experience and learn in order to be "conformed to the image of his Son".  T.A. McMahon

Such was God's original love for man that He was willing to stoop to any sacrifice to save him; and the gift of a Saviour was the mere expression of that love.  Albert Barnes

Have you ever received a gift that just blew you away?  It’s that special gift that exceeds all your expectations.  I am blessed to have received in my lifetime gifts that simply reached out and grabbed my heart.  These are the gifts that made you break down because they were so special. 

I received one such gift this week.  I have a cousin who lives in Michigan and this week I received a box in the mail.  My cousin and I had talked about a month ago and she told me she had been working on a gift for me for about a year and she told me that I couldn’t laugh when I saw it because it was as imperfect as she is. 

I couldn’t imagine what it could be so when I received this box with her return address on it I thought, “This is it.  The gift made specifically for me that was imperfect.”  I couldn’t wait to open it.  I read all the signs on the box that told me how to open the package. 

As I lifted the flaps of the box and removed the tissue I sat back in awe and tears ran down my face.  Enclosed in the box was the most beautiful afghan I have ever seen.  The card enclosed told me what the colors of the afghan mean.  I am going to give you an excerpt from the card.  “It is my first attempt.  It has so many flaws, some loops are bigger than others, the sides are a little un-even, but every loop was done with 100% love.  It’s done representing you and me.  The purples are for you- as it is your favorite color and the greens are for me.  I hope I add just a little color to your Life!  I know you have mine!  Words can’t express how much you mean to me.” 

Throughout my life I have been loved.  This is not the first gift of love I have received in my lifetime.  There is the cross-stitched picture I received from my sister that hangs over my fireplace.  This is not your sampler cross-stitch.  It is probably 3’ x 4’ and every stitch was done with love.  I have the scarf my Mom crocheted for me while I was going through chemo treatments.  Then there is the silver cross my sister gave me after I was diagnosed with cancer.  I could go on and on about special gifts but the most important part about each one is they were given with love.  This is the kind of love that reaches in and grabs your heart and won’t let go. 

There are times when I can’t even comprehend this kind of love.  There is one other gift that I received that reaches in and grabs my heart.  Jesus died on the cross so that I may live.  That is the gift of a lifetime and it’s not just a gift to me.  It is a gift to each of us if we choose to accept it.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for surrounding me with individuals who love me.  It has shown me over the years glimpses of You.  You gave Your Son to die on the cross for my sin so that I can have eternal life.  There are no words that can express that kind of love.  I praise You for the sacrifice that cost another’s life but saved mine.   

Scripture:  Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.  But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.  And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.  Romans 5:12-19