A Precious Gift

I wonder what you would consider the most precious gift you’ve ever received? I can think of some wonderful gifts which made my life easier (washing machine and dryer – thank you Mom and Dad; dishwasher – thank you Mother-in-Law). I can think of some items of jewellery – of value indeed but more so because of the love expressed through the giving of them. 

Up there with precious gifts is the gift of time. Many wonderful people have gifted me a few hours throughout my life. Too many to name, but I haven’t forgotten my sister-in-law’s sacrificial gift of time and elbow grease in cleaning my house, more than once, when I was expecting a baby, or just expecting visitors. I haven’t forgotten the formatting of a book I wrote, the trimming of trees, the fixing of computers, the baking of cakes, and so on. So many gifts which boiled down to someone giving up that most precious commodity, time, in order to help me.

Last weekend our three sons all converged on our dining room and began the arduous task of stripping wallpaper, sanding woodwork (including doors, windows, decorative boards and even the floor – though that was done by Don), and then repainting, re-varnishing, re-wallpapering. Rome wasn’t built in a day and our dining room wasn’t done in a weekend, or even a week. 

Which is why I have been so quiet of late. We’ve been continuing the task of painting and papering. And now, as my back has given way again, one son is coming back tomorrow to finish off the walls with Don.

My heart is full of gratitude to these wonderful young men, and my equally wonderful husband. And gratitude leads me back to a verse or two from Philippians in the New Testament, where Paul has written: ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.’

Our dining room hadn’t been decorated for over 25 years, but the task was more than we could manage. Our boys saw the need, and came alongside. God knows what we need, and he comes alongside. May you share your need with him, and enjoy his peace today.

Disappointments

Surrounded by farm fields as we are, the pong of fresh manure and slurry assaults our nostrils when we go outside today. The farmer has been busy (and so have the cows!).

The sun is out and it’s a glorious day, but the washing stays hanging in the house for obvious reasons.

I’ve just come in from walking round one of those fields with my neighbours and, at first, their dogs. 

That field has just had a load of dung dumped in a mountain so can be avoided by walkers. But Jake, a wonderful German Shepherd, fancied a snack and much to his owner’s disgust, began munching away.

Well. He was marched home in disgrace, though for a few minutes he bounded playfully after us, unwilling to obey. Oh dear. Another disappointment.

Life is full of disappointments, large and small. Sometimes they hit on days which we assumed would only hold good things for us. On my sixteenth birthday I went to take my driving test. I failed without ever getting out of the parking lot, unable to parallel park without pushing down the pole. On the way home the disappointment turned tragic when my mother told me that she’d had our dog put to sleep that day, too. Sweet sixteen turned sour pretty fast.

But God is with us in the disappointments. Jesus promises never to leave us nor forsake us. He assures us that he has good plans for us, plans which will give us a great future. 

Many things in life can disappoint us. God never does. He may do things differently than we anticipate or desire, but his love and wisdom will produce something even more wonderful than we can imagine. 

That’s what our faith says, and that is what our hope relies on. So if you are feeling disappointed today, take heart and turn your focus on Jesus, who is always with you.