I greatly enjoy buying new educational toys for my littlest granddaughter. I give her something almost every time I see her, and I have concluded that everything is a gift in her eyes. The box something comes in is as much fun as the toy. My presence with her is also a gift, and she gets so excited every time I walk in the door. Whether or not I bring something for her isn’t as important to her as the hug I give her when I see her.
I am reminded of what the Bible says in Matthew 18:2–4: “And calling to him a child, [Jesus] put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’” We could all learn to be a little more like children; and that includes humbly appreciating all the “gifts” that appear in our lives and viewing them with excitement and curiosity.
Too often I look at events, circumstances, or challenges in my life and try to analyze them. Is this good or bad for me? I didn’t ask for this, what should I do with it?
Instead, I see that I can thank God in all circumstances, knowing that He can cause all things to work together for good for me. (See Romans 8:28.) I should be asking Him what I can learn from whatever comes my way. And I should especially appreciate the gift of communion with God, which gives me the faith to take what comes into my life and explore it and see what He has for me to learn.
This year brought me gifts I might not have asked for or appreciated. Sometimes, I found myself asking God why and I have wanted to toss some of the gifts away because they weren’t what I wanted. But Jesus has helped me appreciate all the gifts that come into my life. And I have come to understand that the time I’ve spent with Him is the greatest gift, because through our sweet fellowship together, He puts everything in perspective and restores my childlike joy.