God's Precious Gifts

I was thinking today about gifts as we had to exchange one of my son's Christmas gifts for a bigger size. I thought about all the hassle his gifts were this year. He wanted radio controlled helicopters. Well before he even saw them on TV and asked for them, he already had two of them coming. I had seen one on sale for the day after Thanksgiving and bought it online on Thanksgiving day. I thought it was something my brother would buy so I knew Matthew would love it. Little did I know that my brother had already done all kinds of research and bought one for him also. Matthew was so excited when he opened them at my Mom's house on Christmas day. So we put batteries in and charged them up. And they didn't work! So we had to return the one I bought because the store didn't have anymore. Then we were going to exchange the one from my brother, but the lady said that it was the third one she had returned in the last hour because they didn't work. So my husband went online and searched and found a different one, similar price at another store and so I had to go there. It was a lot of running around, but he finally has one that works really well and he really enjoys. As tired as the shopping/returning part of it made me, the joy the final gift gave him was worth it. The final one he got had been out of stock and we got one of the only two they had gotten back in stock.
All of this to share how it made me think of the gifts God gives us. Sometimes the gifts that come easy are the ones that we don't appreciate and we take for granted. My son isn't concerned about some of his other gifts that were no problem to get for him. But especially after he had to help me shop and return to get one that works, he really appreciates the helicopter. What a picture of all of us. Recently I have thought about how much more I should appreciate my children. Matthew came very easy for us. Alisha was a little more difficult of a journey. Kevin took a full year of fertility treatments. Michael has taken almost two years and still isn't home. Then I have been watching a young couple expecting their first child. Tricia has CF and her health and the baby are both in danger. Yet, I read her husband's blog and I see the magnificent grace of God. We do serve an awesome God and He reminds us when we need it the most. I remember in college when I was struggling and the Lord presented me the opportunity to help out one of the professors. His wife was very ill and had to have a protein shake every four hours kind of like having a baby. So some of us girls that lived in the dorm near their apartment took turns helping to prepare shakes for her and cleaning. We didn't think we were doing much but Jeremy and Alisha were so thankful. I sometimes wondered how they could be so "happy". But I learned that it was their Faith in our Almighty God that was pulling them through. Now I watch as they will be having their first baby in March and praise God for healing her. Now I am begging God to heal Tricia (whom I've never met) in the same miraculous way. Please take the time when you read this to thank God for His gifts. Whether that gift be a child, healing of a friend, or even a trial that helps you to focus your eyes back on Christ.