February 18, 2012: Paper Gifts, Precious Gifts

3 gifts found on paper:

• a thank you note from a friend.  People don't send so many of those anymore, everything tends toward e-mail, text or Facebook message, but I love nothing better than an actual handwritten note.  First there is the delight of getting something in the mail other than bills and junk.  Then there is the anticipation of reading it, which always brings a smile.  But the goodness of it doesn't just end there.  I almost always save a note or card and prop it up on my kitchen windowsill or display it on my china cabinet.  There it brings joy for days to come as I spot it over and again and remember. 
• an envelope of old pictures.  Black and white pictures of my mom when she was a girl.  I love family pictures, and old photos have special meaning.  In this case, they allow a glimpse into a past before my time, to my heritage. What a treasure.
• a reminder from God.  This morning I read a devotional from Jesus Calling.  The reading blessed me, but then I got to the end where Scripture references are listed.  One of them was Zephaniah 3:17, The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.  I wrote about this verse earlier this week, saying that it's hard for me to believe that God actually delights in me.  Two days later He is showing me that his Word is truth, that he does indeed delight in me, his daughter.  God is so good!

February 16, 2012: Gifts Undeserved

3 gifts in shadows:

• opportunity.  This morning while brushing my teeth, I prayed that God would fill me with his grace and love so that it would spill out to others.  Fast forward to late afternoon, I've worked all day and have been waiting for almost an hour at the doctor's office.  It was very irritating, yet I managed to stay calm.  As I was leaving, I was wondering to myself what God's purpose was for me in the long wait. Then I remembered my petition that morning and was humbled to realize that I had indeed splashed a bit of his grace onto the office staff as I sweetly accepted the nurse's apology and commiserated with the receptionist about her workload. Blessed to be a blessing.
• prayer. In the mail today was a postcard from Thailand.  It was just one brief sentence that read, "I am praying for you today" and was signed by the president of a ministry that I support, WAR International.  WAR rescues, aids and protects women at risk around the world who are in danger from trafficking, sexual slavery, and abuse.  Becky McDonald, along a team of volunteers, is currently in Thailand risking much to rescue women and she is sending me a postcard to say she is praying for ME?!  I felt so undeserving.  I should be the one praying for HER!  And yet, isn't that the beauty of the body of Christ?  We pray for each other.  We need each other. We help each other. 
• love.  Sometimes it's hard for me to accept words of love from my husband, words whispered in the dark, spoken in the light.  It's difficult to conceive that he finds me beautiful.  It's the same with God.  I can mostly accept that he loves me, but to believe that he delights in me, that's a whole other matter. Yet his Word tells me that it's true, in more than one place. 2 Samuel 22:20, Psalm 147:11, Jeremiah 9:24, Zephaniah 3:17.  Amazing love.

February 9, 2012: Small Graces, Largely Unexpected

3 gifts that were surprises--unexpected grace!

• 2 of the members at the church where I work who were more than happy to fold the Sunday bulletins for me today.  It's one thing to have people be willing to help you out, it's another thing entirely to have them be so glad to do it.  That's servant love, a reminder of God's love to me.  Micah 7:18 tells us how God delights to show us mercy.  I might begrudgingly show mercy, but when is the last time (ever?) that I delighted to show mercy to another?
• Plans for a girls' night out with one of my sisters-in-law and our daughters.   Surprising, but pleasing, that they are willing to hang with the old ladies (especially on a weekend). Of course the fact that we are footing the bill probably doesn't hurt!
• Grace from a staff member at my church when informed her of last minute changes in the schedule for Bible study next week.  She couldn't have been any nicer about it.