By Nancy Farrier
I’ve been thinking a lot about gifts lately. What did I do with the presents I received for Christmas? What did others do with the gifts I gave them? I asked my Bible study group about this and there were a variety of answers the ladies came up with.
The presents that weren’t right might have been exchanged, given to someone else, stored in a closet, or simply thrown away. A few were kept out of sight and only brought out when the giver came for a visit.
Perfect gifts, the ones the receiver got excited about were treated very differently. These were admired, used often, shared with others, shown off, and kept close at hand. They didn’t become boring, or get put aside—at least not for long, because the receiver was so excited about them.
Some took patience to learn to use and enjoy. For instance, one person mentioned getting a Wii Fit and trying it out. They had to work to do the various games, and many of the work outs took a lot of practice. Also, there was work involved, not just fun or the health benefits that came from using the program.
For me, the ability to write is a gift given by God. Writing isn’t easy and has taken years to learn, with still much more to grasp. I can choose to get discouraged and ignore my talent just like those presents that have been stuffed in the closet, or I can become excited over again. I can determine to not be discouraged when penning a book becomes hard work, or when criticism hurts. It’s my choice to continue on or quit.
What I do with the gifts I receive isn’t so much about the gift being just what I wanted, but about choosing to appreciate it and use it the best I can.
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What a thoughtful post. I completely agree.
I’ve never juxtaposed gifts and writing in my mind like this. Well said.
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