Presenting our gifts

Mid morning, house a-buzz with the energy of the day, 5-year- old traces well-worn path to mama's room proudly presenting one of several like-gifts of the day:

"Mama, look what I have for you."

A page brightly and carefully colored, all 5-year-old.

Temptation rises: another color page. I get several a day from 5, 6, 7, 7, 8 and 9 year old.

The temptation to minimize her gift fades with the realization of her true gift: eyes meeting I give a little thank-you -for thinking -of -me hug nestled in a word of praise. A moment to show her that she matters to me as well. The gift, if I am present in the moment and not caught up in the chaos around me, is oh so much more than a paper with colors.

She is thinking of me.

Racing through the day, do I pause and receive the ordinary gifts God gives, the ones I have several of already; meeting His eyes, giving him a little thank-you-for-thinking-of-me hug nestled in a word of praise?

Am I present in the moment?

Or do I run by and think another ( mouth to feed, meal to cook, dish to wash, room to clean, shirt to fold, bill to pay...)?

These gifts are only routine and ordinary if I focus on the ordinariness of the gift and forget to pause and look into the eyes of the gift-giver and give Him a thank- you- for -thinking- of -me word of praise.

Comments

Anonymous said…
You serve and inspire me every day, sweetie. This particular post does it in a way that's new...after almost 12 years of marriage, you're still bring surprises from deep down inside.

Thank you for stepping out in faith,
Jeff
January 11, 2009 at 8:28 AM
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