GROWING SEEDS - "Gifts"

 

 

"G-I-F-T-S "

"Open your hands and your heart to receive this day as a precious GIFT from Me."

~ Jesus Calling, June 25

 

Each year, I've been the one in my family that pleads for everyone to hand make their Christmas gifts.  For years I've begged, compromised, bargained with them.....all to no avail.  Not only do they not WANT handmade gifts, they also don't want to take the time and effort to MAKE a handmade gift.  They claim they aren't "creative"; they don't have "time"; it's just too much "trouble"....

blah blah blah...

But this past Christmas, Liz got her handmade gift....FINALLY!!!  My sister had drawn my name and as I was tearing through the shiny Christmas paper she wrapped my gift in, she sat in front of me barely able to hold her excitement back.  She was telling me how proud I'd be of her cause she actually "made" my present this year....just as I had asked every year for the past 52 years.  And I was thrilled that just maybe our family tradition was changing.  I opened the box carefully (didn't want to break the handmade gift!) and was surprised to see a flowery envelope staring back at me.  As I opened the envelope and removed the letter inside, I began to read "Merry Christmas Little Sister.....I Handmade You An Appointment For A COLONOSCOPY".  

Maybe this is why it came as no surprise that "Receiving Gifts" came in last on my 5 Love Languages quiz.  Gifts just don't rock my world.....UNLESS.....they are GIFTS from the heart.  Thoughtful, loving, just-for-no-reason gifts.  And believe it or not, my sister's gift of a colonoscopy was from deep within her heart.  I knew that.  Didn't much want it, but I knew it came out of LOVE.  See, my sister has been down the cancer road before and loved and cared for me enough that she didn't want me to go down this same road.  To her, this was the most loving GIFT she knew to give. And I was happy, if not a little "weirded out", to receive it.  

She taught me that LIFE is the best GIFT of all.