Gifts In the House

"You parents – if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:9-11 NLT)

I spent a quick weekend in Houston at a Leading Ladies retreat and I returned to Weimar last night with a happy heart. Laughter, conversation and the Spirit of God all came together in the sweetest way and I left far fuller than I arrived. This morning, in my Daily Office, I once again picture my heart-home and invited the Spirit in. As He made His way, I saw packages piled high in the foyer and my soul squealed a little bit. I know I will be unpacking the gifts of this weekend in the days to come; it was so spiritually rich.

I may have shared this story before, but when Rob and I got married years ago we honeymooned in Minnesota. In hindsight, we don’t recommend the Big Woods in early May; we were babies and we came home early, cold and wet. 🙂 Much to our surprise, Mom and Dad had moved every last wedding gift into our apartment and set the dining table for two. There was fried chicken in the fridge and our living room was literally overrun with pretty paper packages. We were like little kids in a candy store, opening gifts well into the night, overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family.

This morning’s impression in my Daily Office reminded me of that very special experience. Only I’m a little older and I’m reluctant to tear through the gifts this time. Instead I’d like to sit with the Giver and slowly unpack each and every one over the days to come, treasuring our time together as much as the gift itself. I’d like to learn to implement these gifts into my life rightly. Hopefully, this way the Father’s treasures won’t wind up in a moving sale, but instead, reside in my soul for the rest of my life.

"Don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down for us from our Father in the heavens." (James 1:16-17a NLT)

Lord, today we acknowledge that You delight in giving us good gifts. Sometimes they come in strange packaging, but other times it’s as obvious as a home piled high with presents. Thank You for loving us in ways we can appreciate. We are, again, wowed by Your generosity and affection. May we take the time to unwrap with our full attention. Help us rightly treasure the grace we’ve received. Amen.