What is the one gift that stands out to you which you received as a child?

For me it was a telephone. And yes, I’m talking about the cord attached to the wall telephone. It was cream with pink buttons and a pink hand set. Kind of like this:

I didn’t have my own phone line, but we did have call waiting. 😊I really felt like I’d reached the “big time”.

As I’ve grown older, I have understandably changed my outlook on gifts. Although I think I will always have a love language of gift giving and receiving, but it’s not really about the gift. I just enjoy it.

Gifts were in abundance as far as receiving them growing up. It was not something I lacked, and I don’t say that to brag. I say that to help you realize what I’m sharing. I grew up believing if I received a gift that I was loved and if I didn’t receive a gift I was not loved. That is how love was shown.

After a few years, if the gift was not well thought out, something I wanted, or dreamed about, then it fell on the lower end of me feeling loved. As I grew into adulthood, I still carried this irrational belief that the only way I could feel loved was to receive a gift.

Then when my life fell apart, and I was no longer a part of my family in any way, I spent numerous holidays and birthdays alone. No gifts, no cards, no phone calls. I was devastated. I felt completely unloved. And I don’t say that for you to pity me because this is what I learned from it.

I had no idea what love is. I had no earthly idea what true unconditional love looked like. And that brought me to my knees – literally because my heart was breaking so bad from feeling unlovable -I cried out to the One who could fill that deep longing for true unconditional love.

It wasn’t until I stopped seeking it on earth was I filled. Don’t get me wrong. I love receiving gifts. I love to give gifts, and I wish I had the ability financially to give more often than I do. I love to give things that people don’t expect and surprise them or put a lot of thought into what I give others. That’s just part of who I am, but it took a lot of learning to realize that the most amazing gift ever given was just waiting to be accepted.

I had “accepted“ Jesus and chose to follow Him at 17, but in working out my salvation and the process of sanctification and growing in my faith as an adult, is when I really truly realized that how amazing that gift is.

I’ve had some experiences over the past couple of years that have triggered this insecurity in me again. Where I begin to feel unloved because someone forgot my birthday or a similar experience. And every single time I have to come back to recognizing the truth.

Humans are flawed. I’m flawed. You’re flawed. We’re all flawed. I’m going to screw up. I’m going to forget people‘s birthdays. You’re going to. It’s just going to happen. That’s where grace and forgiveness comes in.

But the truth is the greatest gift is not anything someone on this earth can give you.

As we get ready to enter the holiday season (which I really cannot believe I’m saying already this year) where we lead up to celebrating the greatest gift ever given – I want you to start to think about that greatest gift.

I want to challenge you to think about the last earthly gift you were given as a gift here on earth that had you so incredibly excited and feeling deeply loved. Then, I want you to ask yourself if you still feel that way about God sending His son just for you.

That’s what I was challenged with very recently and I had to ask God for forgiveness for craving earthly pleasures over things that cannot be seen. For believing feelings over truth.

I leave you with that challenge today and want to lead you in prayer as you ponder it with God.

Father God,
Forgive me for craving things of this world more than I crave You. Forgive me for celebrating things of this world more than I celebrate the gift of Your Son. Draw me back to You. Fill me with You and once again I thank You for the amazing gift of Jesus. The gift that I don’t deserve. But you so graciously and mercifully chose to provide to anyone who accepts. I pray for those who have not chosen to accept and follow You that they will see Your love  and Your truth and may I be a light to those around me needing this.
I ask all this in Jesus’ Name
Amen

Speaking of gift giving…the holiday season is almost here and I have some exciting things in the works you may want to consider for gifts! Stay tuned!

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