The little boy opened his gift. It was boxed and wrapped and topped off with a bow. He had heard about this gift for a long time. He was told that it was an incredible gift he would need to get through life. A treasure he would carry with him every day. Something he could never lose. He carefully untied the bow and unwrapped the box. As he opened it, he was amazed at its beauty. He pulled it out of the box and stared in wonder. It was the most stunning thing he had ever seen. It was lovely and was bought for him by a kind and loving man.
He spent some time just considering what it was worth, what it had cost the man to purchase it for him. He was told the value of it and how much it had cost, but it was hard for the boy to understand and so he just considered it a great possession. As he ran and played with other children, sometimes they would get into mischief. But he would always have his treasured gift with him and knew that everything was alright. As time passed, he began to see the gift a little differently. It did not sparkle and shine as before. Something had happened to cause it to lose its luster. He started to think that he could leave it at home when he went out to play. He would only pull it out when his parents reminded him of it. Then he felt sorry that he had forgotten it, or left it behind.
The gift came with no instructions, no manual on how to use it, or really what to do with it. He formed the opinion in his mind that he needed to be a good little boy in order to keep it. The only time people seemed to mention it, was when he had done something wrong. And so it seemed to him that this free gift was tied to good performance. He thought that he better take it out of its box and put it in his pocket so that he would always have it with him. With the gloss now gone, he slipped the dull souvenir into his pocket and forgot about it.
The years rolled by and he would take it out of the pocket and look at it, especially when he had done something wrong. Feeling guilty, he would, with contrition, whisper words of apology then quietly slip it back into the pocket. This would happen mostly in the place with the steeple. The place he equated with performance and guilt. Try to be good and when you don’t, remember that gift you received so long ago. Whisper words of repentance and try harder to be good.
The boy grew into a young man and as life does, he began to think of adult life. He tried to justify his actions with “I’m only human” and “just a little isn’t bad for you”. As friends gave into temptation and didn’t seem to get zapped for it, he thought he could try some things that were told were not good for him. Life was offering the forbidden and he drank in as much as he could. He thought, as long as I don’t get caught…
The gift was long forgotten now, though his parents would remind him about it. The road to ruin was wide and presented many things that promised satisfaction. He stayed away from the place of the steeple and anywhere that might try to remind him of the treasure given to him so long ago. The gift only seemed to lead to disappointment, for he considered it something to be kept only by doing good deeds. Since he could not help from giving in to the temptations that he found himself surrounded by, the once-prized possession resided in his pocket.
What the world offered and the life it promised, soon became a dead end. For anyone that receives this gift, cannot run from it (Hebrews 12:5-11). His dreams shattered, his life busted and many years wasted, he discovered once again that treasure in his pocket. But as he pulled it out this time, it shone so brightly that he winced at the sight of it. As his eyes slowly adjusted and he fixed his eyes upon it, the young man began to see that there was more to this gift. That there were many layers to it, still to be unpacked. He was surrounded by a Deep, Overwhelming Love. There was a sense of True Forgiveness for the sins he had found himself in. As his life was lost, he discovered New Life again. And for the first time, it had a deeper meaning, it became like a new found Truth that he would never shake or awaken from.
As Love covered him and washed him clean, it whispered words of Grace into his ears and down into his heart. As the hot tears of sorrow over his sins gave way to tears of Joy, his heart was filled with a new love and appreciation for the gift he had received so long ago. He was finally Free. Free to love and enjoy The Gift as he was always meant to do. There was such Thankfulness created in his heart that all he wanted to do was to share the knowledge of The Gift with those around him.
The man, now older, spent many of the following years, learning about The Gift and all of its attributes. What it meant for him and what it would mean for others. The Gift was for all people but had to be awakened inside him first. He could no longer keep it from anyone else by keeping it in his pocket. It was a Gift to be distributed to the young and old, to sinners and saints, to the rich and the poor. To people over here and people over there in foreign lands. This Gift of Joy and Peace would bring Comfort to all who would open it. Just as it was meant to do all along.
Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!
2 Corinthians 9:15 (MSG)
He spent some time just considering what it was worth, what it had cost the man to purchase it for him. He was told the value of it and how much it had cost, but it was hard for the boy to understand and so he just considered it a great possession. As he ran and played with other children, sometimes they would get into mischief. But he would always have his treasured gift with him and knew that everything was alright. As time passed, he began to see the gift a little differently. It did not sparkle and shine as before. Something had happened to cause it to lose its luster. He started to think that he could leave it at home when he went out to play. He would only pull it out when his parents reminded him of it. Then he felt sorry that he had forgotten it, or left it behind.
The gift came with no instructions, no manual on how to use it, or really what to do with it. He formed the opinion in his mind that he needed to be a good little boy in order to keep it. The only time people seemed to mention it, was when he had done something wrong. And so it seemed to him that this free gift was tied to good performance. He thought that he better take it out of its box and put it in his pocket so that he would always have it with him. With the gloss now gone, he slipped the dull souvenir into his pocket and forgot about it.
The years rolled by and he would take it out of the pocket and look at it, especially when he had done something wrong. Feeling guilty, he would, with contrition, whisper words of apology then quietly slip it back into the pocket. This would happen mostly in the place with the steeple. The place he equated with performance and guilt. Try to be good and when you don’t, remember that gift you received so long ago. Whisper words of repentance and try harder to be good.
The boy grew into a young man and as life does, he began to think of adult life. He tried to justify his actions with “I’m only human” and “just a little isn’t bad for you”. As friends gave into temptation and didn’t seem to get zapped for it, he thought he could try some things that were told were not good for him. Life was offering the forbidden and he drank in as much as he could. He thought, as long as I don’t get caught…
The gift was long forgotten now, though his parents would remind him about it. The road to ruin was wide and presented many things that promised satisfaction. He stayed away from the place of the steeple and anywhere that might try to remind him of the treasure given to him so long ago. The gift only seemed to lead to disappointment, for he considered it something to be kept only by doing good deeds. Since he could not help from giving in to the temptations that he found himself surrounded by, the once-prized possession resided in his pocket.
What the world offered and the life it promised, soon became a dead end. For anyone that receives this gift, cannot run from it (Hebrews 12:5-11). His dreams shattered, his life busted and many years wasted, he discovered once again that treasure in his pocket. But as he pulled it out this time, it shone so brightly that he winced at the sight of it. As his eyes slowly adjusted and he fixed his eyes upon it, the young man began to see that there was more to this gift. That there were many layers to it, still to be unpacked. He was surrounded by a Deep, Overwhelming Love. There was a sense of True Forgiveness for the sins he had found himself in. As his life was lost, he discovered New Life again. And for the first time, it had a deeper meaning, it became like a new found Truth that he would never shake or awaken from.
As Love covered him and washed him clean, it whispered words of Grace into his ears and down into his heart. As the hot tears of sorrow over his sins gave way to tears of Joy, his heart was filled with a new love and appreciation for the gift he had received so long ago. He was finally Free. Free to love and enjoy The Gift as he was always meant to do. There was such Thankfulness created in his heart that all he wanted to do was to share the knowledge of The Gift with those around him.
The man, now older, spent many of the following years, learning about The Gift and all of its attributes. What it meant for him and what it would mean for others. The Gift was for all people but had to be awakened inside him first. He could no longer keep it from anyone else by keeping it in his pocket. It was a Gift to be distributed to the young and old, to sinners and saints, to the rich and the poor. To people over here and people over there in foreign lands. This Gift of Joy and Peace would bring Comfort to all who would open it. Just as it was meant to do all along.
Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!
2 Corinthians 9:15 (MSG)
RSS Feed
