The Giver is Good
I just had a birthday on October 11th. I am now 22. I have a family full of awesome, thoughtful gift-givers. Who loves getting gifts? Yeah, me too! Don't we all? Especially on our birthdays, it helps us to feel special. It shows us that we are appreciated and needed.
Gifts bless us: they are a display of admiration and affirmation. They are a way of putting someone else before ourselves. It is a way to say, "I honor you. I cherish you. I want to celebrate you."
We almost always have no problem accepting gifts from our friends and family: whether it's something extravagant, or something simple, like they picked you up your favorite drink on their morning coffee run.
As much as I love receiving gifts, sometimes I have an awfully hard time receiving them from my Heavenly Father! I am quick to receive earthly gifts with pleasure while I find some reason to reject the ones my Heavenly Father is trying to give me!
I had a conversation this week with a precious friend that has really blessed me and poured into me since the start of our friendship. She has an awesome new job at a local school, being able to spend time with kids in an after school program. Teaching and spending time with kids is her passion. As we were talking, she said, "I can't believe I got this job. I just don't deserve it. I'm probably going to screw it up, I bet."
I immediately stopped her, and said, "Well, God can believe it! He orchestrated it. And the coolest part is that He likes to do this kind of thing! He likes to surprise and bless us because He's a good Father! You don't have to beg Him for a tiny piece of His goodness when He is willing to overwhelm you with it. You don't have to do anything to 'deserve it.' God is in the business of blessing us beyond what we think we 'deserve' because He is so amazingly good. He's delighted in us. We are His delight.
I was reminded of the passage in Matthew 7: If our parents and families and beloved friends give us good gifts, in our sinful nature... How much better our Heavenly Father's gifts must be!
The Giver, our Heavenly Father, is so good.
Even in the moments that we don't understand.
Even in the moments that are ugly and hateful.
He is still good.
You don't have to beg Him for a tiny piece of His goodness when He is willing to overwhelm you with it.
We are His delight.
Between the Shadow and the Soul: Blogging through the journey.