Friday, December 16, 2011

A Room Full of Gifts


Yesterday I wrote a short post on the most wonderful gift anyone has ever been given~ the gift of salvation that came to us in the form of a tiny baby...Jesus...our King of Kings as a blogger friend described him....and Lord of Lords!  A gift of love~

"For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son,
that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

While reading inspirational posts this morning the subject of gifts came up again and I could not help but reflect on the many many blessings God gives to us each and every single day of our lives.

I think that is the first gift I am grateful for today, that each morning I open my eyes to the light of another day.   Having had Lyme Disease for so many years, and cancer nearly two years ago, I am so thankful to still be here to make the most of every day.  Of course, we don't have to have a disease to feel grateful as we greet the day ahead. 

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 18:24

Another gift I often take for granted is the gift of a warm and cozy home with lots of windows and good neighbors.  We never go hungry, we travel in a nice van, and we always have enough...  thank you Jehovah Jireh for your abundant provisions.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

During the Christmas season family and friends are at the top of our list, aren't they!  Their love, support, encouragement, and did I say love.....are a blessing we are so grateful for.

"Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family],
precedence and showing honor to one another."
Romans 12: 10


Some gifts come in ugly wrappings, but what they hold inside and what they teach us are things we are grateful for.  Trials, storms, unwanted circumstances may be hard to receive, but sometimes they do bring the most precious gifts of all.  Trust....Hope.....Faith....Patience....Love....Forgiveness...

"All things work together for good to those who love the Lord."
Romans 8:28

And then there are those gifts we do not even know about.  Gifts from our Lord just waiting to be received and unwrapped. I once heard a story about a man who when up to Heaven where St. Peter greeted him and  showed him around.  They came to one room and when Peter opened the door it was filled to the brim with beautifully wrapped gifts.  The man asked, "Whose gifts are these?" to which St Peter replied, "Oh, these are gifts that God had waiting for you, that you never asked for!" 

"Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find,
knock and the door will be opened."
Matthew 7:7

Gifts~ fun to give and fun to receive. They come in all different sizes, shapes, and wrappings and they bring us joy, excitement and sometimes even sorrow.  Enjoy these treasures, and be sure to unwrap all the gifts God has for you!


Please stop over and visit Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays to read more inspirational posts or link up your own.

13 comments:

Sr Crystal Mary Lindsey said...

Hello Rene, Yes to give, gives the giver a blessing. Have you ever heard about the two boxes the Lord gave. One was for all the blessings and the other for the sorrows. The box for joys got heavier, yet the one for sorrows became lighter. When the sorrows box was opened, there was a hole in the bottom. The gift receiver was upset with the Lord and questioned, Why? The Lord answered, "The hole is for you to let go." Much love Crystal Mary

Nikki (Sarah) said...

Hi Renee.....I'm with you.....His gift is the best.....Have a great weekend.

michelle said...

Love the last part about the gifts the man never asked for...

Charlotte said...

Gifts - we all have so many. I love the way you described the gifts in your life. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings,
Charlotte

Lisa notes... said...

I have so many gifts to be thankful for too--including waking up everyday. We are so blessed.

Gayle said...

Oh loved this post. Tonight my girlfriend and I visited on the phone and I told her my "word" for 2011 was blessed and how I had seen the blessings in so many way this year. She had almost died from an infection in October and she agreed she too was realizing how blessed she is. The gift story about what we didn't get...now that one is a one I don't want to leave a single gift unopened!

nicolewian said...

What a beautiful blog.

Pamela said...

You are a gift to me, Renee. You stay so positive in the midst of physical difficulty. I'm always blessed by your attitude and love for God.

Merry Christmas,
Pamela

Oldqueen44 said...

What a generous God we serve.
Even the gifts in ugly wrapping that we don't want to accept are for our good that only God can understand. If we trust in who He is, we will eventually see the goodness of the gift also.
BUT... Oh but how painful those gifts with ugly wrapping can be.

Esther Joy said...

It blesses me to see your thankful spirit in spite of all your health challenges. Christmas Blessings, Esther Joy

Kaye Swain - SandwichINK for Grandparents and Caregivers said...

What a delight to read these sweet words of encouragement. God has been reminding me of these types of blessed gifts as well, including those verses from Ephesians 1 that are my planned Word-Filled Wednesday this coming week. :) Thank you for adding even more encouraging Bible verses for my heart.

Anonymous said...

I'll ruin it if I say anything so I'll just leave you with this. .. Beautiful.

MERRY CHRISTmas. Tammy

❀~Myrna~❀ said...

He is the greatest Gift , amen ! He always gives his children good gifts even though it may not seem so at the present time . Wonderful Post ! Merry Christmas !