What’s the best gift you have ever received? Maybe you are having a difficult me narrowing it down to just one, which simply means you are very blessed. Go ahead list some “bestest gifts you have received,” that immediately come to you mind:
If you are having too much fun remembering keep on going.Here some of mine:
- Many years ago my friend Art gave me a stainless steel Thermos coffee/tea mug. It has flown off the top of my car numerous times, been run over, misplaced, has traveled with me all over the world, and I still use most every day. Great gift.
- Our Friend Robert gave us a Ford Ranger Pickup truck, which ended up paying for one of our daughter’s extensive orthodontic work. What a great gift at just the right time.
- A lady in our church who encouraged me to continue my education committed herself to help foot the bill if I put in the work, and by doing so not only blessed me but gave the gift of better educated pastor to the whole church.
- My brothers Michael, Andi, Friederich, und Peter, are among my bestest gifts ever. I can’t tell you much I have learned from them, how much I have received from them, the many things they have modeled for me to emulate, how much richer my life is because of them. Michael taking care of our parents and aunt/second Mom all the way to their last breath, caring for the people in his neighborhood, and his town. What an example. Little things like Andi teaching me about buying flowers, bringing home “prizes” for my love, my wife. Peter persevering through difficulties and dark, discouraging valleys where most would have given up. Friederich seeing the world with an uncommon empathy and his challenge to me not to err on the side of legalism.
- You know how there is fashion jewelry, real jewelry, and the “’spensive” kind of jewelry that almost no one can afford. I once window-shopped in Zermatt, Switzerland, and there in the window of a jeweler were watches priced at over $500,000, which is slightly out of my price range. The other day the news reported that a 9.5 carat pink diamond was auctioned for over 17,000,000 dollars. When God blessed me with Susie as my wife, and then us with our children, he reached into his pink diamond jewelry box and somehow put some of those rare gems into my life. Wow.
- There is so much I have not mentioned yet, the gifts of relatives and friends, opportunities, church family, the Bible, jobs, and ….
- And then there is the “indescribable gift” of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, wrapping himself in human flesh, paying for my sin, rescuing me from the power of sin and death, granting me forgiveness, trading with me his righteousness for my unrighteousness, saving me from the judgment of God, giving me eternal life, imparting to me the Holy Spirit, and committing himself to me with eternal love. I respond with the Apostle Paul, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NASB).
Happy Thanksgiving! To God be all glory!Always remember, you are both loved and prayed for.Pastor Hans