Ripples

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11

When something really big is dropped into a pool, not only does it make a big splash, but it sends out ripples. Jesus was given to us as an amazing gift. He is the centerpiece. He is the reason for the season. There is no better gift that can be given to us than Jesus. He has landed in the pool of your life and has made a huge splash. But there is more. He is gifting you this very day in amazing ways. We weren't just gifted with Jesus and then all the rest of life we just bumble through. We weren't given Sundays just to worship and then the rest of the week we try to just make it through. We are gifted every day and in every moment. If you look up from what you are doing right now, you will see a gift from God. He is showering you constantly with gifts. They are the ripples from Jesus. Today, some of my obvious gifts are the hawk that perched in a tree across from my house and a blue heron that landed right in front of me, the delicious tea that I am drinking and the blue sky amidst the clouds. Oh please hear me out. These are not just some nice words. I feel so strongly that God wants you to wake up to his gifts for you. I know there is a place in you that is probably suffering. We want God to take the pain away. Until he does there is a tendency to just close our eyes and wait it out. He is asking you to open your eyes and see the gifts that he is showering on you. Surrender your will. His ways are not our ways. They don't always make sense. This I do know, he wants to pour out blessings on you. He has been doing this all along. Ask him to open your eyes and your heart to receive. Have a blessed day, gifted child of God.

Here is another of my favorite Christmas songs. I can still hear my seventh grade friend singing it many years ago. In this song, the gifts had to be pointed out, but they were there. God wants to point out his gifts to you.