The last blog post was about Remembering our Miracles. Not losing sight of the Gifts that are doing life right in front of us. Not allowing the stuff “between the numbers” to steal our vision. I’m certain that as you read, your own precious heart album was laying wide open in your mind’s eye. And I’m just as certain that as you looked into those eyes, saw their smiles, and considered the depth of your love toward them, you were overwhelmed with thankfulness to the One who gave them to you. The One who intentionally carved out a place for each and every one of those beautiful faces in your heart.
Have you ever stopped to consider how purposeful God was when He gave you those Gifts? Those Miracles imprinted on your heart and your mind? He designed them, precious in His sight, fearfully and wonderfully made and then . . . . . He entrusted them to you. It wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t happenstance. It was choice. They were given to you–Gifts to watch over and to care for–beautifully wrapped and lavishly loved, heart-picked and hand delivered by Divine choice.
God knew that there would be life stuff come their way that would be more bearable, more joyful, and more doable with you by their side. See, the blessing of Miracles and Gifts runs both ways. Your Miracles, well . . . they possess the Gift of YOU.
- God determined that you were the one to walk beside your husband and to support him even when it’s hard. Nobody else could fill those shoes. He made them just for you.
- He knew that the baby He put in your arms needed to have unconditional love straight from your heart. No other heart would do. He chose you.
- He resolved that specifically you would be entrusted to bless and love those heart children. Only you were appointed to shower them with unending love and blessings.
- And those Sisters at your side were given especially to you to comfort and to encourage. Their lives are richer, fuller, sweeter– because they belong to you.
Now you look at that list and the general terms that I offered –husband, babies, children, sisters—and they all take on names. Names of the ones you love and maybe, if you’re like me, you think of the immensity of what He has entrusted to you and quickly become convinced that God has short changed those Sweet Ones around you. You’re not the one to love with no strings attached. You aren’t the reliable one, the one who will be steadfast no matter the circumstance. You can’t meet the needs of others that way or offer comfort that really makes a difference. You surely aren’t the one who showers love on others, may be it trickles – on a good day. Maybe everything within you right now is shouting—I am no Gift.
Well Girlfriend, if you and I were left to our own devices, abandoned to our own hearts, I would be the first one to stand up and agree with you. But that’s just not the case for those who believe. God never intended for us to walk into the precious lives He has surrounded us with on our own. We were sent there as a Gift by the One to whom we have been entrusted. He fully desires for us to rely on the Power, the Tenacity, the Endurance, and the Love of the One to whom we have been gifted.
JESUS PRAYS FOR BELIEVERS
And so for their sake and on their behalf I sanctify, dedicate, consecrate Myself that they also may be sanctified, dedicated, consecrated, made holy in the Truth.
Neither for these alone do I pray, it is not for their sake only that I make this request, but also for all those who will ever come to believe in, trust in, cling to, rely on Me through their word and teaching,
That they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.
I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are one:
I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and definitely recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them even as You have loved Me.
Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me, as Your gift to Me, may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me Your love gift to Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
O just and righteous Father, although the world has not known You and has failed to recognize You and has never acknowledged You, I have known You continually; and these men understand and know that You have sent Me.
I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self, and I will continue to make You known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them–felt in their hearts–and that I, Myself, may be in them. John 17:19-26
Do you see it? You are the Gift from THE GIFT. The richness, the sweetness, the love that you pour into the lives of others is because Christ Jesus—GOD’S GIFT TO THE WORLD–has received you – has received me – as a gift straight from the heart of the Father. You have been entrusted to, given to, gifted to the Christ of God and He has poured Himself into you so that you might pour Him into the lives of others.
It is the unconditional Love of the One who is Love that flows through us and fills the hearts of our babies. It’s His reliability, His steadfastness that wells up within us giving us the tenacity to walk strong beside our husbands. It is Him, the Great Comforter, who reaches out to that Sister with our arms and lets us wear His heart for them. And it’s Him – the Living Water, which never runs dry – showering our heart children with blessing and unending love.
See, apart from Jesus, apart from the Spirit of Love coursing through us, there is no good thing in us, but with Jesus comes every good thing. He giftwraps us with tenderheartedness, with mercy, and with patience giving us the power to endure whatever comes and hand delivers us to the those we love and those we are yet to love.
And the world sees it. They watch us do life. Enduring trials, encountering suffering, celebrating and grieving with those we have been given. We are never pulled out of the hard stuff but we’re always gifted with the One who will see us through and because we are imitators of He who loves us we walk strong and steady with those to whom we have been given.
Oh yes, Sweet One, you are the Gift and might it be that to see yourself as less-than is to see the Savior, THE GIFT who lives within you, as less-than as well? We do not boast in or about ourselves, but we will boast all day long in our Jesus and the work He has done to transform our messy, sin filled hearts into blessings for those around us. All praise, honor and glory to our Savior –THE GIFT—who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.
Sister, I believe with all my heart that part of the joy the Savior received were the Gifts given to Him by the Father after His work had been completed and He sat down at the right of the Throne. I picture in my mind the Father handing His Son one Gift after another and the nail-scarred hands joyfully receiving each one.
And don’t you know Beloved, one of those
beautifully wrapped (Colossians 3:12),
lavishly loved (1 John 3:1),
heart-picked (Ephesians 2:4-6),
and hand-delivered (2 Corinthians 1:10)
Gifts –part of the joy set before Him–
is YOU.
Now thanks be to God for His Gift,
precious beyond telling,
His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift!
glimpsedglory 
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