The Gift

My friend was celebrating her birthday, and I decided I would do something different from former years as I wanted her to have a gift that she could treasure for a long time. After spending a substantial part of the day gathering necessary materials, I made what I thought was a gift she would love. I presented it to her and eagerly awaited her response on her special day.

On the day of her birthday, my friend sent me a text message that, at first, shocked and then angered me. She made it clear that she did not appreciate my gift, saying it was in poor taste. I called her a couple of times to clarify our perceptions of the gift, but she did not respond.

Have you ever had someone reject your love or a tangible gift that you sacrificed to give?

 As I pondered the incident with my friend, I couldn’t help thinking of my spiritual walk. In many ways, I have rejected Jesus, heaven’s Gift to me. I wonder how He must feel. I reject Jesus when I refuse to let Him be Lord and Savior of my life. “It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing. Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah’s goodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and its fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that one Gift. The sun and the moon were made by Him. There is not a star which beautifies the heavens that He did not make. Every drop of rain that falls, every ray of light shed upon our unthankful world, testifies to the love of God in Christ. Everything is supplied to us through the one unspeakable Gift, God’s only-begotten Son. He was nailed to the cross that all these bounties might flow to God’s workmanship.”*

 Dear friend, do you appreciate Jesus? When was the last time you showed Him your appreciation? Why not spend some time right now to whisper a prayer of gratitude? Then let your gratitude touch the life of someone else today.

Tamar Boswell