Good and Precious Gift

 

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all light…” James 1:17 (The Amplified Bible)

I remember a time when I was a young girl. My family was on a trip, traveling in rural West Virginia. We’d been driving for what seemed an eternity. It was late, and we were finally looking for a place to spend the night. My sister and I asked, in unison, “Can we swim?” We were told that it was doubtful. It was late. Everyone was tired. There weren’t many motels in the area. And there probably wouldn’t be one with a pool.

Not long after, we did find a motel. And it did have a pool. Not only that, but it was open late and – almost too good to be true – there were both a diving board and a slide. I think Katie and I pinched ourselves to be certain we weren’t dreaming! (Our tired, road-weary parents perhaps tossed a coin to see who would chaperone.)

Hurriedly, we changed into our suits and were out the door. SPLASH (from the diving board) and SWOOSH (down the slide)! By the time our parents, who both, by the way, chose to share in our joy, pulled us from the pool, we were tired and pruney, but happy. We slept soundly that night, no doubt – dreaming of that late night “surprise.”

God loves to give surprises to His children. Just as my earthly daddy was delighted to offer his girls lodging at a motel in the middle of nowhere that included a pool with frills, God, too, is delighted to give good gifts to His kids. And He does it everyday – in the sunrise, in birdsong, and in rainfall. He invites us each new day to come thirsty – with eyes wide open… ears tuned in.

One year ago, He offered our family a Gift. She came as a surprise, to say the least. Looking at our circumstances, we could have said, “No thanks. Now’s not the time.” (I shudder to think of it, but it’s the truth.) We did, in fact, come close to saying no. This Gift would require our attention. Our energy. She would demand our time. Yes, Allie would change our lives.

But we didn’t say no. Instead, we said yes – understanding fully that this short, three-lettered answer would certainly bring about, over time, even more, often lengthy, questions. “Why doesn’t she require more sleep?” “Where did she put that remote?” “Doesn’t she know, Mom, that I just cleaned those glass doors?” And most recently, “Do you need to use the ‘Big Girl’ potty?“  (If only I had a dime…) Yes, lots of questions and many more certain to come. Still, we chose to dive in. We took the plunge.

I’ll admit I often wane in the face of “unknowns” – becoming overwhelmed with uncertainty at times and thus, choosing to live on the fringe. In truth, my tendency toward “cusp-dwelling” is really a way of saying no to the invitation to receive God’s best. And we miss out when we say no to Him. Even our delayed responses often result in great loss.

There is joy in our yeses. There is joy when we trust and when we dive into the ocean of God’s goodness. Each day I am learning this anew. I am a student; the teacher, a little girl. Gradually, I’ve been shedding my decades-old fears as I’ve watched our uninhibited Allie – like the times she’s stood at the top of the slide that’s molded into her wading pool. With hands held high and with squeals of delight, she’d push off and plunge in. She gratefully, without hesitation, accepts each of the “surprises” she’s given. Between giggles, she often exclaims,  “Ooo, Mommy, isn’t this wov-wy!”

Like me, her memories will include swimming pools with slides and late night swims with mommy and daddy watching close by. I hope she stays carefree and gutsy – never settling for a life of contended “cusp-dwelling.” Mostly, I pray she’ll know whole-heartedly the Giver of all good and perfect gifts.

            “Lord, help her to always say a hearty ‘Yes’ to Your invitation to fully live! Thank you for Your “surprises” which come in all shapes and sizes. Thank you for never giving up on us and for even using that which comes from the “mouths of babes” to teach us more of Your infinite wisdom.”