The scripture says something like praise and thanks be to God, the giver of all good things. When I think about God's gifts, spiritual things come to mind. He gave some to be prophets and that kind of thing. Gifts of the spirit. But I think it's much more than that. He also meets our needs. Scripture says what kind of a father if his son asks for bread would give hime a stone? How much more your heavenly Father will do for you. So He meets our needs too. This is where I think we start to lose it. We have a shallow understanding of what we need.
A couple of months ago I was very sick. As I was coming to the end of it I picked up my phone and scanned Craigslist for bmx bikes. I found a screaming deal. Now you might be thinking, what in the world does this have to do with God giving gifts? Everything would be the answer. I love bmx bikes. I have since I was a kid. A month ago I found a 85 Gt bmx for $75. In its listed condition it was worth about $250. I firmly believe these are gifts from God.
Some of my friends collect heart shaped rocks. When they find one they feel God saying I love you. John Eldridge tells a story of being out in the woods with a buddy and finding half of a large rack. I don't remember if it was deer or elk or what but it had been a long time dream of his to find one. I don't remember the circumstances but his friend ended up keeping it. Maybe the friend found it first, I'm not sure, but his treasure was right in front of him and he let someone else have it. As they got back almost to the truck he found the other half. He knew this was a gift from his Heavenly Father.
As I have become more aware of how God shows His love for me I am more able to see it. God is a lavish giver. He gives me gifts all the time. Last night I was working on a 21 rose arrangement for my wife and I's 21st anniversary and I needed a special vase that would allow me to organize them in a way that they would be easily countable. My first fabrication idea just wasn't going to work and the store had been a bust. Limited funds and all. I headed into the shop attic to see what I might find. I was just about to give up when an old rack of 24 glass Coke bottles caught my eye. It turned out awesome. God knew what I needed.
Somewhere along the line we got the idea that there is a spiritual side and a worldly side to life. That things have to be one or the other. I don't believe this is so. Maybe this is why I always saw eternal life, the good news, as starting after death.
How much of this life do you see as spiritual? How often do you recognize gifts from God? You may not agree with my convictions that all of life is spiritual, but I guarantee that God is more involved, more concerned with your life, than you believe. The truth is out there, claimed the X-Files. When we meet our creator I think we will be dismayed by how little we understood and how much God had for us that we never received.
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