| The Gift |
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| "How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" Matthew 7:11 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 |
| These verses say that God gives His children good gifts. How often have I fallen into the trap of thinking that God's gifts come in the form of material goods, good health, financial success? That is how we often picture God's blessings. What about the adverse circumstances that come into our lives? Is God withholding His blessings--good and perfect gifts--from us when we experience adverse circumstances? In the last two and half years I have experienced many adverse circumstances affecting my physical health. I have gone through times of depression when I couldn't see how there could be anything good in what I was going through. As time has passed and I have learned to trust God with what He has allowed to come into my life, I am coming to the realization that these things really are gifts given to me from a loving Heavenly Father who knows what is best for me and what I need. He has taught me that the trial is just the wrapping on the gift. Let me give you an example. The week before we were to go to Family Camp, my leg fractured. It is a result of osteoporosis. There was no way I could go and do all the walking required there. At first I began to focus on the "wrapping" (trial). I began to get upset about the situation. Then I realized, God allowed this for a purpose (the gift). So then I began focusing on what the gift was that God was giving me all wrapped up in this trial. I had to use a wheel chair at camp. As a result of being in a wheel chair, I was able to make friends with a young boy who is there every year and whom in past years I could not get him to warm up to me. He is confined to an electric wheel chair because he has severe cerebral palsy. I found that he has such a sweet, cheerful spirit and attitude in spite of his severe disability. It was the highlight of my week to get better aquainted with Daniel. As a result I was encouraged and inspired to have a better attitude about my trials. Read my piece on the and you will see gifts that God can bestow on us as a result of pain and other trials. You see, so often we get so focused on the wrapping, that we end up missing out on the gift that God was trying to give us. Marsha June, 2002 |