Category: A Better Life

Unexpected Gifts: A Lesson from a Diamond Ring

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On Christmas morning, I looked under the tree but didn’t see any boxes with my name, not even the one containing the special white sweater I requested. After our children opened all their gifts, I gave my husband his present. Finally, he reached to the inner parts of the tree and drew out a tiny box. Inside, I found a beautiful diamond ring he’d bought.

At church today, a friend commented on my ring, and I explained that years ago, I asked for a pretty white sweater for Christmas, not an everyday sweater, but something special. Was I disappointed? Absolutely not! The ring was worth much more than my request and would last the rest of my life.

Or, imagine if you were newly married and thought you’d move into a one-bedroom apartment. Instead, on returning from your honeymoon, the Uber arrived at a mansion. Thinking this was someone else’s home, you said you’d rather visit later. However, the driver said, “I present your new home! You won the lottery this morning!”

How often do we receive gifts greater than we’d imagined? My marriage of 66 years changed my life forever, and I can’t imagine being without that man. Our two sons and two daughters are tremendously important and bless me in dozens of ways. What did I consider when my husband and I married? I knew we loved each other and thought we’d never get divorced but had no idea that we’d be blessed with so many years together. When our children were born, we loved them but couldn’t imagine what fine men and women they’ve become, and we’re so proud of them.

Often we don’t realize the significance of a gift when we first receive it, just as I couldn’t think of the many good years my husband and I have had. When children are babies, we hope they grow into moral, considerate people. Believers in Jesus pray that their children will love and serve God as they do.

I see ways these metaphors parallel what God does for us throughout our lives. I believed Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins when I was a child. My sins at that time included not always obeying my parents or fussing with my brother. Yet, I understood that those were still sins in God’s eyes because they were things he said not to do. Jesus not only paid for those faults, his death and resurrection made me a child of God, not just a child of my parents.

As I child, I had no idea what that salvation would become through my long history with God. He gave me such a wondrous gift that I could never even have the words to thank him adequately, much less deserve or repay it. He gave me a huge diamond ring when I asked for an inexpensive sweater. I didn’t even know to ask for that sweater until the Holy Spirit from God awakened my heart to want it. This huge diamond has lasted not only all my life, but I’ll still be wearing it in heaven with my Lord for eternity.

God has given me many gifts but next to my salvation, I think the most important is God’s tremendous individual love for me. Which, of course, is the reason he planned my salvation, but I didn’t know that at the time.

I know Creator God loves everyone, but he loves me! The old children’s song Jesus Loves Me states the fact clearly, but it’s a song we sing with small children. Actually, it’s one we need to sing the rest of our lives! Not that God doesn’t love others in that same way, because he does. How I wish I’d sung and believed that song when I felt so inadequate at different times.

Our heads know that our heavenly Father loves us, but that knowledge doesn’t go down into our emotions and minds. It doesn’t permeate us, and that’s vital. Then we know that whatever our circumstances, his love never leaves us, even when we don’t have a clue about why we’re in that situation and want out immediately. Father’s love gives us hope for when we’ve come though the challenge.

When my health turned in a way I definitely didn’t like and “bad” major events hit three other members of our family one year, a part of me wanted to run from God. At that very time, my loving heavenly Father assured me of his love more than I’d ever known it previously. Not even in my closest times with him did that expression of love stay with me. He chased me until I returned to him because I simply couldn’t resist that love.

The more I look at my life, the more I realize that this is a Father who delights in giving diamond rings instead of sweaters. Sometimes I concentrate on my desire for that sweater and overlook the tiny box in the tree. I want to learn to appreciate that ring more than I concentrate on the sweater. Often, we make resolutions for the new year, and I think this is a beneficial one to work on all year.

Does that mighty love from your heavenly Father permeate your life? Do you know that he says he will never leave you or forsake you? (Hebrews 13:5b) If you don’t know that wondrous love of God, simply ask him. He’s more anxious to share it than you are to receive it. Will you accept my challenge to look more for God’s diamond rings than a sweater? To look for a mansion instead of a one-bedroom apartment?

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV).

I Long to Be One with You

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As I heard this song playing yesterday, I gave it a lot of thought. “I Long to Be One with You” by Terry McAlmon tells of a person who desperately desires a much closer relationship with Lord God Almighty, their loving heavenly Father.

If a person has never known or had a helpful relationship with their earthly father, they might have a difficult time understanding why they’d want a relationship with a God they can’t see or know physically. I had a father who loved his family much, trained my brother and me well, and set the example of the kind of person we should become. Of course, my loving mother had a huge hand in that as well. They both loved the Lord and taught us to also.

I’ve realized that when long-prayed prayers went unanswered, I let that draw me from the closeness I’d earlier had with my heavenly Father. For some time, I’ve been wanting to return to that intimacy, but I haven’t been willing to spend the time to do it. When I heard that song, I realized that now I need to choose whether I’m willing to do whatever it takes to surrender to his will for the rest of my life. I’m elderly, so I can only do so much to serve God by serving others. However, I believe God has a purpose for each person as long as they live, so am I willing to fulfill God’s purpose for me?

God’s answer to what it takes to have intimacy with Him is simple. Jeremiah tells us God’s plans for each of us who trusts Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord. When we do, we believe that his death on the cross and resurrection paid for our sins against the Lord, making us God’s child. All people are God’s creation, but only by believing in Jesus can we become a child of God.

Jeremiah 29:11-14a tells us: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the LORD.

When you seek me with all your heart tells us why this choice is one we must make carefully. It’s not something we can casually say we want to do and then do it half-heartedly. That’s why it’s taken me time to consider whether I’m willing to give up more than simply reading a chapter from the Bible and a short prayer time to meet with my loving Father. I don’t say I need to sacrifice time because previously I’ve given this time gladly and received a joy that I don’t have now.

Think of your best friend. Did you immediately become best friends who share all the secret things of their lives? No, there might have been an initial liking or connection over something you both share. But it would be rare if you met someone you’d never seen in a restaurant and immediately told them all the hurt you were feeling at that moment. Even more rare would be if you told them of a huge new love interest or a financial blessing, I think; unless you’re one of those people who tell everyone everything they know. Most of us don’t.

An intimate relationship with God compares to finding a best friend. Time brings us together and gives us special moments shared between only the two of us. Gradually we trust each other to share our deepest troubles but also our greatest joys. Something happens and we immediately think, I’ve got to tell my Bestie that, and we tell our Father.

As well as bringing all of our troubles, cares, and hurt to God and asking Him to help us deal with them and heal us, we also share all our joys. We thank Him that He listens to us and thank him for whatever gives us joy and peace. We thank Him for his amazing love that never leaves us, even when our relationship is estranged.

Then we listen as our heavenly Father whispers secrets to us. These are ways He can comfort us or tell us that at the right time, He will answer our prayers. He can help us know which way is a better decision, whether that affects our personal life or our work. We don’t hear an audible voice, but we do not doubt what is the correct direction.

Of course, only we will decide if we will follow that course because God does give us free will. He didn’t make us robots so we have to do what a loving Father says is the best path for our lives. Our Lord gives us room to fail, and we can do a great job of it. I’m glad we have that opportunity because we often learn better lessons from failure than we do from success.

I’ve made my decision, now the choice is yours. Do you want to be one with the Lord, for Him to be your best friend?