Who can honestly say that they dislike receiving gifts? I can't think of anyone who would would flat out refuse a gift. I think even Mr. Scrooge and the Grinch enjoyed gifts!
When someone gives you a gift, what does that mean to you? Maybe that person loves you. Maybe they consider you a good friend. Maybe it is a simple "thank you" for something you have done for them. Whatever the reason, people give gifts to bless another person.
My daughter, Abby, is your typical four-year-old girl. She loves gifts! She gets excited about gifts! She even gets excited about gifts that aren't hers (which can sometimes make keeping a gift a secret somewhat challenging). This morning at breakfast, we were having our daily Bible reading/devotional time when I gave Abby a new verse to memorize. How she loves to memorize things! The verse is Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." We talked about a "cutesy" song by Jason Upton that says, "Everything you see is a gift from God." Everything. We talked about how the trees and the birds and our dog and mommy, daddy, and brother are all gifts from God. But then I shared with her that every single day is a gift from God. We can enjoy it and be thankful for it--even if the weather is cold and rainy like it is here today.
This ties in so well with what we have begun doing as a family. At some point during the day when we are all together, we will each say three things that we are thankful for. We can't say the same three things two days in a row; each day must be different. We are purposely shifting our focus from ourselves to our Heavenly Father. We can always find three things to thank Him for, even on days that have been stressful for whatever reason. During her bedtime prayers, Abby has become increasingly thankful; even my own prayer times have been more of a time of gratitude than a list of needs.
On a more adult level, what have you done with the gift of today? When you woke up this morning, did you grumble and complain about all of the things on your to do list? Did you look at the Wall Street Journal and complain about how much money you've lost in the current "economic slump"? Did you leave the gift of today wrapped and sitting on the shelf, or even throw it in the garbage? Or did you excitedly rip the paper off of the package and tear open the box to see what was inside, knowing that it was going to be something great? Did you rejoice in today, giving thanks to God for creating this day just for you? He did, you know. He created today with you in mind.
How have you used the gift of today? Did you thank God for it and ask Him to make you a blessing to those around you? Enjoy this gift that He has given you! "Rejoice and be glad in it!"
