Gifts

03 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in gift, gifts, hope, joy

It’s been a weekend of reminders and something I needed to be reminded of. I have been given many gifts and sometimes the gift is taken away. It’s in those moments I make a choice – will I resent losing the gift or will I be thankful for the time I had?

Anger, resentment, despair, hopelessness, loneliness…all emotions that are normal and reasonable to a point but there is another point when these emotions become weapons of destruction.

Last night I had to make a choice. Do I hang on to resentment for a gift that I was having to give up for a time or do I want to given thanks and rejoice for the hours I was able to spend with these gifts? It is so easy for me to wallow in the pain and hurt but I don’t want to live that way.

Some gifts are mine forever and some are mine for just a season. Will I let the loss of a gift cause me to simply focus on what I’ve lost and forget about the eternal gifts I have?

Nothing in this world is forever. It’s a temporary place and I need to be reminded to treat it that way.

In doing so, I can rejoice for the time I’ve had and know that a better day is still ahead.

Grace and peace to you.

Thankfulness – Part 2

23 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by Seeking Peace in gift, giving, thankfulness

≈ 1 Comment

It’s the season of gift giving and gift receiving. Some gifts are outrageously good, some outrageously hideous. Some gifts are expensive and rare, some inexpensive and personal. Some gifts require little thought, others bathed in love. Whatever the gift, it requires a giver and a receiver.

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When I was a kid, I was perfectly acceptable to getting as many gifts as possible. I accepted them freely and with great joy. Gifts big and small, expensive and free…I took the approach of bring one, bring all. Something has changed though. Now, I would rather not receive any gifts. Oh, I’ll still take them but I would be just about as happy without a gift as with a gift. I credit that to something that has followed me for many years, the feeling of not being worthy of receiving gifts. Or, the feeling that whatever is given to me needs to be returned with something just as valuable, if not more. This year is no different than several past. I received a gift from a friend that was far more valuable than what I could give in return and I’m still not sure I’m going to be able to simply accept it. I don’t feel worthy of such a gift because I can’t do anything to match it.