Refusing Gifts

Last Friday night, I stayed with my friends' two children while they enjoyed a date-night. It was pretty uneventful. They are good kids, and super-cute! No, I am not biased, thank you very much!

Putting the 15-month-old to bed was fairly uneventful. Putting just-turned-five-year-old Haley to bed started out uneventful. I was told to read her "a" bedtime story, but before I knew it, I was finishing up the third story. Yes, I realize that makes me a sucker in the eyes of some, but at least the last two were Bible stories.

After stories and prayers, I was heading out of her bedroom door when I turned and said, "Night-night, Haley! Sleep tight, and have sweet dreams!" This is where things changed. I was surprised to have a small hand outstretched in a definitive "stop," and accompanied by an adamant "No!"

• "No?" I asked with a great deal of confusion. "You don't want sweet dreams?"
• "No! Zero dreams. I want Zero dreams."

Hmm, maybe she's afraid of bad dreams, so I'll tell her I mean for her to have good dreams.

• "Not even very sweet, good dreams, huh? We could ask Jesus for that."
• "No. Just Zero!"
• "Okay, then. Night-night, zero dreams, Haley."
• "Okay."

I wonder how many times God has tried to offer me something good and I have said "No!" because I was too afraid that it was not actually good. Do I not trust that it is good? Do I not trust that it is from Him? Do I believe that I need to earn it? Do I think that I will have to "do something in return" for it? Do I have a hard time believing that His gifts for me are free? Or do I simply have a hard time believing that He just wants to give me gifts because He loves me? I don't know the answer; but I suspect that some of those doubts are underlying reasons that I may have missed out on a gift from God or even refused it.

Sometimes the gifts are difficult to notice by we who are too busy with our lives and the world around us, but that doesn't mean it isn't there for the taking. One of my favorite gifts that God gave me was in a dark time (emotionally) ... I was very sad and felt darkness invading my heart. When I arrived home at dusk, there were hundreds of fireflies (lightning bugs) all over the yard. It looked like little dancing stars of light all over! I knew it was a love note from God to me! I sat on the porch swing and enjoyed it immensely! If only I noticed and accepted His gifts more often. They are far more than we ask or imagine. They are not just what we call miracles ... They are His creation of young & old; mountains; animals; oceans; fields; laughter; family; friends; and who can resist the breath of a sleeping baby?

Maybe we are scared sometimes that it is not actually from God when something seems "too good to be true." But isn't God too good to be true by human standards? Don't we have this idea that we have to "earn" everything here on Earth? For instance, look at how we delight in unexpected gifts from others for "no reason." I believe it's not only joy, but also the unexpectedness of kindness and a gift. In a way, it is a little sad that kindness and gifts (even of time or talents) are so rarely shared for "free." So, of course, it stands to reason, that we would have a difficult time accepting the free gift of life that Jesus gave us on the cross ... that he loves us so much that He would die for us so that we can freely live and have eternal life! It truly is the ultimate gift of love ... and if you think that's impressive ... just wait, there's more! ... It's FREE!
.

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you

and who you are speaking to,

you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

John 4:10 (NLT)

.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NLT)

.

Now that's a gift worth taking!