A Gift Every Day

An Indigo Bunting at my feeder

     Recently, my husband and I were asked to babysit for our son and daughter-in-law so they could enjoy an evening out.  There is nothing I like better than such invitations as I love to spend time with our grandsons!  Upon arriving, our grandson Briggs looked up at me with his deep blue eyes and asked if I had brought him a present.  I told him "no" and he asked me why.  By this time, his mother told him that having Grammie and Papa come to visit was a present, and he didn't need anything else.  However, he asked once more if I had brought a surprise.  When I repeated that I had not, he simply shrugged and went off to play.  Certainly, this whole scenario was brought on by my habit of bringing little gifts for the boys to play with.  I love to "spoil" them with something special.  After all, my own Grandfather Hess used to take me to Murphy's 5 and 10 cent store nearly every week.  I was allowed to pick out one small item, and of course, he always bought some candy for my cousin and I to share.  It was always fun going with Grandpa because we always had something to look forward to when he finished with his errands.

     In the same way, our Heavenly Father provides for us a gift every day if we will keep our eyes open.  The problem for most of us, however, is that we tend to focus on all the negative things that go wrong during the course of a day rather than anticipating some treasure of the heart.  Apart from salvation which is the greatest gift He has given to us, there are so many little lessons, experiences, and moments that come from His hand.
     One such treasured gift came and sat on my bird feeder yesterday.  For the very first time, an Indigo Bunting came to feed, and I was blessed to get a picture of this beautiful bird.  His feathers are the richest indigo that one can ever imagine.  God's handiwork never ceases to take my breath away.  Then, again, today,  a female Bunting came to sit at the feeder followed by a Painted Bunting.  I could not catch a picture of the painted Bunting, but he was spectacular.  I felt blessed!  God had allowed me to see such beauty if only for a fleeting moment.  What an artist the Lord is and how inspired I am by His goodness.

A male and female Bunting at my feeder.  What a sight!

     Observing the birds at the feeder, I thought about what Jesus said as he admonished His disciples not to fear what others might say or do:  "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31).  As beautiful as those birds were, God considered me of more value than any of them.  What a thought!  Each one of us is valuable in
His sight so why do we allow the troubles of the day to overwhelm us with fear and worry?  Can we change anything by stewing over it?  The answer is "no".
     If we would begin each day anticipating a gift from God and then taking a moment to jot  down those that we observe, we would find ourselves focused on praising Him instead of bemoaning our circumstances.  Maybe it is a phone call from a friend.  Perhaps it is a letter from a loved one, or even the sight of a rainbow (my personal favorite) that reminds us of God's promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood that makes us smile.  Seeing God's handiwork and blessing in our lives will change our outlook, stop the worry and eliminate the fear that rises up to put a damper on our day.
     Every new day is an adventure with God if we will open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to Him.  He has a gift each day with which to bless us.  Lets spend our time seeking Him knowing that He has given to us all that we need for life and godliness!  Selah!


What gifts has God given to you today?  Please feel free to leave your comments here.  I welcome them.