five minute friday: gift

On Five Minute Fridays, we link up with The Gypsy Mama and write for five minutes flat. No editing, no spell-check, no over-analyzing of words, just pure writing from the heart. Join us?


GO.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above;

it comes down from the Father of all light,

in whom there can be no variation

or shadow cast by His turning."

James 1:17 (Amplified Bible)

I have thought about this word all day.  Gift. 

Immediately, my mind went to birthday presents and Christmas presents.  And Easter basket goodies.  But it just didn't feel right.  It felt off.

As I was heading to a meeting, the verse from the Book of James washed over me.  And I started thinking about gifts a little differently. 

I started thinking about all the things that have happened recently.

Take for instance, the broken compact of powder on Monday morning.  The brand new broken compact, I might add.  Perhaps me dropping the compact on the kitchen floor on the way to work was God's gift of remembering that beauty is fleeting.  And true beauty is on the inside.

Or take the slow poke driver taking his sweet time down Palmetto Street the other morning.  Perhaps he was God's gift for me to spend more time with Him before my hectic work day began.

Or what about my Blackberry that died and had to be replaced.  Granted, I used my upgrade for a new iPhone {score!}, but perhaps this was God's gift to my family so we could communicate with Victor using Facetime during his time away from us.

I forgot to stop and get formula yesterday on the way home from work.  Luckily, Baby Girl did not starve. Luckily. But, perhaps this was God's gift of more quality time with my daughter before her ever-increasingly early bedtime.

And how about my Diddy's recent stay in the hospital.  Perhaps it was God's gift to my family to remember how precious time is with family.  And perhaps it was a chance to praise Him for my mama's recent retirement.

Or the day that I got caught in the rain without an umbrella.  Instead of a bad hair day, perhaps it was God's gift to me to remember not take life too seriously.

Perhaps? 

Indeed.

After all, every good and perfect gift comes from Him.  And I am certain that any gift He gives me is way better than what I could come up with it. 

So, I dare you to start looking at your circumstances as gifts, rather than nuisances or bothers or irritations.  Once you view them as gifts, you will be so thankful to the Giver of all things good.