©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com
Isn’t it a delight when someone gives us a great gift?
In order to realize just how good it is though, we have to open the gift to discover what’s inside.
“I’ve been wanting this” or “This is just what I needed,” we exclaim when we discover how right or useful it is for us.
When someone intuitively knows what we need or want, it makes an impression.
We feel good not only about receiving the item but more so about knowing someone cares about us.
At times we’re given way more than we deserve, expect, or imagine.
We pull the tissue paper out of a gift bag, reach in, and delightfully pull out a gift. As we thank the gift-giver, we hear…
“Keep looking. There’s more.”
Inside we discover another gift was hidden – and sometimes even another. But those extra gifts are deep down inside the bag we’ve been given.
To get them we have to reach all the way in.
At times we may overlook or miss them entirely.
Years ago, a friend called to thank me for a gift I’d sent her in a gift bag.
“What did you think about the other one?” I asked.
“What other one?” she responded. “Oh, no. There was something else?”
She realized she’d inadvertently thrown away the second gift. After pulling out the larger gift, she thought nothing of value was left amid the concealing tissue paper, so she had thrown it in the recycling bin.
Are we throwing away any of the gifts God gives us?
Do we dig deep enough in our hearts to find the treasures He has for us? Deep enough in His Word?
Sadly, many don’t open the most incredible gift in life – the gift of the Savior, the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. God loves us and desires to be in close relationship with us, but His gift of salvation must be accepted.
No matter how beautifully wrapped a gift may be from a friend, if it remains unopened on a table, we don’t know what’s inside and can’t appreciate its value.
When we open a gift we cherish, we delight in it and want to use it. As we begin to utilize it, we come to realize how much it impacts our lives and our gratitude grows.
A friend of ours gave us one of those metal carousels for coffee and hot chocolate pods. The gift allowed us to better organize the pods, reduce time looking for them and neaten our coffee area. Surprisingly, it made our mornings less stressful and more enjoyable. We didn’t realize what a difference it would make until we started using it.
Utilizing the gifts we’re given offers another advantage.
When we wear or use a gift, we’re reminded of the gift-giver. Compliments on it often cause us to share the story of where we got it and who gave it to us. As we use it in different ways and circumstances, the one who gifted it comes to mind.
And, oh, the delight it brings when we see someone using or enjoying a gift we’ve given them!
How much pleasure it must bring God to see us delighting in Him and enjoying the peace, comfort and joy we discover by embracing His gift of salvation.
It’s a treat to receive postal and e-cards with encouraging sentiments and caring thoughts, but what if someone special sent them and we never opened them?
We’d miss the message, but we’d also send a message that the sender isn’t important, and their effort isn’t valued.
What message do we send God about the words of truth, guidance and encouragement He’s given us in the Bible?
The opportunity to experience God’s closeness and to connect with Him is a gift with more value than can humanly be calculated. The mercy, grace and forgiveness we experience through God’s gift of salvation through Christ opens the door to other gifts in life.
Let’s keep delighting in God’s ultimate gift – and discovering what other gifts He puts our name on!
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV
- What is a gift you’ve received from a friend or family member that you’ve enjoyed for years?
- Which tangible gift in your home is one of those you cherish?
- How do you decide what to gift your friends and family?
- Are the life-enhancing words of love, wisdom and hope God gives us ones you can’t wait to read, or does His Word often stay unopened?
- Have you recently reached deep in the gift bag of your heart and soul to discover what God wants you to have so you can experience His love more deeply and serve Him more?
And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:14-15 NIV
Remember…
Life is Better When It’s Full – Joy-full, Thank-full, Purpose-full and Friend-full! ™