Viva la Difference

We walk our grandchildren to school once a week. They each have their unique approach to this activity. The nine-year-old boy would like to get to the destination as fast as possible and has to be reined in so as not to outwalk his sisters (and grandparents). The eleven-year-old has music playing in her head. I can tell by the way her feet tend to make walking into dancing. The youngest, who is only six, appreciates the journey. She looks around and picks flowers or collects rocks. She will be the first to notice a fallen branch. She finds wonder in everything she sees. She is also the most talkative and chatters all the way to school whereas the older two are deep in their own private worlds. They are all so different.

Because of their different ages and different personalities we will get them different Christmas presents. No one-size-fits-all will apply.

God treats us exactly the same way. He knows our natural inclinations, our personalities, our preferences. After all, He made us unique. It is therefore not appropriate to look at other Christian’s callings, gifts or answers to prayer and wish they were ours. Our Father knows exactly what we need and how we can best serve Him.

“Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift… He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church… fully alive in Christ.” (Ephesisans 4: selections from verses 7 – 13. the Message)

Let us rejoice in our uniqueness and celebrate the different gifts we have been given. We are all different pieces of the same jigsaw puzzle, unique in shape even though our colouring may be similar to other pieces. We cannot fit in anybody else’s place and nobody can take our place.

Viva la difference!

Enjoying Life

Two scriptures have grabbed my attention recently.

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17 NLT)

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. (Psalm 36:8 NIV)

These verses speak to me about enjoyment and delight. God is the creator of all good gifts and pleasures. We only need to look at the variety of delicious food He has made available to us. Imagine if we ate grass every day like cattle! Or think of the futuristic scenario where all our nutrition might be reduced to a tablet a day. How much we would miss out on!

When our grandchildren were younger, I used to agonise over buying them presents for birthdays. How disappointed I was when a specially chosen doll was never played with, or a toy was left in the toy box unenjoyed. How much it delighted me when a gift we had given got taken to bed with the three-year-old, or was played with every day by the four-year-old.

I think God is delighted when we enjoy His gifts. He loves watching us having fun, enjoying life to the full. There is such a variety of things to enjoy; art, music, ballet, good wine, great sport-matches, riveting books and all things excellent.

Let us not merely “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die,” but “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

My Prayer.

Lord, even in the midst of this Corona pandemic, please open my eyes to the good gifts You have given me. May I enjoy them and give You thanks and praise. Amen.