I was recently given a gift that was beyond one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. In society, we are constantly bombarded with the word “deserve."
I deserve a raise.
I deserve respect.
I deserve promotion.
I deserve the best house, job, kids, husband, life, etc.
The truth is we deserve nothing! Recently I have felt very blessed because of the amount of gifts I have received. There shouldn’t be a problem with that, right? I am not sure why I feel the way I do, but when I am given gifts, I immediately feel this sense of guilt.
I think the problem is society's view of gifts. When I receive these gifts, I don’t deserve them at all! So I immediately try to compensate by trying to find as great a gift to give back. The problem is I feel I lack the means or funds to repay such a gesture.
As I sit here writing, I am overlooking the San Francisco Bay. I am able to do this from my hotel because of a gift from my friends Bruce & Jean. They gave me a trip to San Francisco with all the fixins.
They did this not because I deserved this, but as an expression from their heart. To be honest, I am not sure my husband and I would have ever experienced San Francisco.
This gift amounted to so much more than a trip. It reunited my marriage. I now view it in a new light. It gave me some relaxation and inspiration. It has given me courage in so many ways. It has affected me spiritually. The results are endless.
In this process, I received yet another gift. I have an amazing friend, Heather, who volunteered to care for my kids. She is an amazing woman who took away any fears of leaving my children for a much needed couple's getaway. She went beyond anything I ever expected to make sure my kids felt loved.
Making friends is not something I have done easily since I married. I moved from my small town where I had known all of my friends since kindergarten to a place where I felt scared and never knew who to trust. Heather not only has given me the gift of watching my kids these last four days, but she has given me a new hope in life. Everyone needs girlfriends. She has given me trust, confidence and just love.
So as I sit here feeling blessed, I can’t think of any way to repay these people. They have given more to me then anything money could buy to pay them back.
When we were first offered the trip, it felt like it was too much. We debated turning it down. Heather was the one that said, “don’t take their gift away! Imagine how you would feel if you wanted to do something nice for someone and they refused to let you!"
That piece of advice was the best advice I have ever gotten. Sometimes, it is impossible for me, but it is something I am striving at doing. I know when I give gifts, I do not expect anything in return and often times feel insulted when I do receive something in return.
I guess the point of this article is just that. To accept a gift graciously, accept it thankfully.
As an extra bonus to the article, I have one more thought. To put gift receiving in perspective, I think about the gift of salvation. I can’t fathom the gift Christ gave to me and working to repay it everyday is fruitless. No amount of work I do would ever repay Him for his sacrifice. I wonder how insulted he feels every time I try?
