You are a Gift From God

It was January 9^th 1991 that would forever change our world.  It was the day our first-born child made his entrance into the world.  He was so tiny and fragile.  His voice cried out for the first time, as he was being washed and then handed to his mother for very first time.  He was given the name Roman.  Little did we know that his life would be exactly how the bible defines it to be, strong and powerful!

God is in the gifting business on a daily basis.  He knows when to give the gift and exactly who should receive the gift.  God is incredibly thoughtful to our needs and his timing is impeccable.  The gift of a son was not in our timing, but God’s timing. 

God gave us another gift on July 2^nd 1996.  Her name is Tessa.  She made her entrance into the world not knowing how important she would be to her parents.  She too is strong, but she is also sensitive.  She has a heart that feels the pain of others and is always doing her best to help everyone.  Her name means, “to gather.”  How fitting for a young lady who gathers those who are struggling or dealing with hurtful issues and she gathers them to comfort and show compassion. 

Again, God’s gifts are unmistakable and perfectly timed.  Both of our children are not only gifts to us, but to the world in which God placed them to live and work and interact.  Roman is a youth minister in Tennessee.  He powerfully shares Jesus and mentors and motivates teens to live the Jesus life.  Our daughter Tessa lives in California as she supports her husband who serves our nation in the Navy.  Also, Tessa works with children and helps take care of their needs.  She loves them and shares with them joy and laughter and hugs and a warmth of a kind soul. 

It is true that I could be a bit bias in my assessment of our children, but I am not at all bias in my assessment of our God who is the greatest gift giver ever.  He knows each of us on a personally level and is constantly providing us with everything we need to live our lives to the fullest. 

Think for a moment of the gifts you have right now!   Reading this means you have the gift if eyesight.  Someone may say, “yeah, but I need glasses to read it.”  But at least you can see to read and God gifted someone with the ability to invent glasses.  It is a matter of perspective in what we truly want to see God giving us in our lives to help us. 

The gifts are galore:  Water.  Heat.  Cold.  Trees.  Flowers.  Food.  Mountains.  Cars.  Friends.  Children.  Stars.  Home.  Love.  Jesus.  Shoes.  Fingers.  Hair.  Airplanes.  Medicine.  Sleep.  Clothes.  Dogs and cats.  Lady bugs.  Light and dark.  Hugs and kisses.  Lips.  Taste.  Feel.  Touch.  And the list is endless. 

James 1:17 says that all perfect gifts come from God.  God is always going to see to it that we get the perfect gift at the perfect time.  It is true that there are those who suffer greatly or go hungry or homeless or lonely or jobless or a host of other problems.  The key to God’s gift is realizing that you are the gift to the sufferer, the hungry, the homeless, the lonely, the jobless or whatever problems others are dealing with in their life. 

Galatians 6:2 tells us to carry each other’s burdens.  When we believe that God created us as a gift and to be a gift, then our perspective toward others will radically change.  When will see opportunity rather than burdens. We will finally use the gift to bring hope to the hurting, love to the lonely, refuge to the homeless, food to the hungry, and employment to the jobless. 

See yourself as a God-gift.  Keep the gift unwrapped and usable.  Be approachable.  Be Kind.  Be Gentle.  Be Hope.  Be Help.  Be Jesus.  Be ready. Be a gift!

Remember, Be God controlled!

Brian