"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning."
James 1:17
I absolutely love my 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible.
There's quite a story behind it and I'd like to share it with you.
Several years ago, I went to Daytona Beach, FL with a friend. I had never been there before and was quite surprised that you were allowed to drive your car onto the beach. The beach was huge, bigger than any I had ever seen. Each day we would drive down and park on the beach and watch the cars drive by. Amazing! I wasn't quite sure whether I liked that or not!
I became quite taken by one model of car I kept seeing on the beach. It was a convertible and I really liked the looks of it. I ultimately found out it was a Chrysler Sebring. Upon returning home, I did some research to find out how much they were and if there were any available where I lived.
Now, here is where I should probably give you a little background. After I graduated from high school and got a job, I purchased my first brand new car - a 1969 Pontiac Firebird convertible; sticker price - $3,450.00!! I owned that car for 6 years, selling it after I got married and had my first child; it just was not a practical family car.
About 2 years before Phil, my husband, died, we started talking about buying another convertible. Every time we saw a convertible on the road, Phil would say to me, "You'd look good in that car. You'd really look good in that car." We never did get to buy one before he died.
Now, back to the Chrysler Sebring; I found some used ones in my area and decided to test drive one. It had low mileage and the one feature that was a requirement for me - controls for the audio system on the steering wheel (hey, I know what's important)! The dealership let me take it over night for a trial run.
Praying about whether or not I should buy this car (I really didn't need to buy a new car; mine was running perfectly fine), I asked the Lord to give me a sign. I drove it to church to have my pastor check it out. As I drove up, his wife came out and the first thing she said was, "Wow, you look really good in that car!"
That night I went to a meeting at church and a friend drove up beside me in the parking lot. He walked over to me and said, "Donna, you look really good in that car!"
My sign!!
As it turns out, the price of the car had just been reduced and when they found out I wouldn't be doing a trade-in (I was selling my other car outright to my daughter), they reduced the price even more and I was able to buy it!
My point in telling you this story is - I didn't need this car, but I really wanted it; it was a dream come true. God didn't have to bless me with it, but He did. This was His "good and perfect gift" to me at that moment. Every time I drive this car, I feel completely embraced by my Father's love.
Many of you know my history with hearts. A couple of weeks ago, a friend gave me this shell she found on the beach. Absolutely amazing! and she said when she saw it she knew she found it just for me!
What a perfect heart in this shell!!
Another "good and perfect" gift.
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
Matthew 7:11
Now I know these "things" are nowhere in the league of the truly perfect gift God gave us in Jesus, and the many spiritual gifts and blessings He gives, but I believe that God also desires to give his children "temporal" gifts, gifts that show us He is concerned about every aspect of our lives.
What makes these two gifts to me "good and perfect" is that they were
exactly "good and perfect" for me.
They were things that God knew I would love.
He gives me gifts that He has specifically chosen for me.
He gives you gifts that He has specifically chosen for you!
Very special, personal gifts picked out for me, for you, by our Father.
Because of His great love for us and His desire to bless us!
When you buy a gift for someone, usually you put a lot of thought into it. You want to get that person something they will like, something they want, something you know that will bless them.
And, if you are a parent, you know how you feel when you are able to give your children something they have longed for.
It brings you more delight to give it to them, then the delight they take in receiving it.
Isn't that the truth?
Well, don't you think our heavenly Father feels that way, too?
He wants to give us something we will like.
He wants to give us something we want.
He wants to bless us.
It's His desire to bless us.
Does that mean we always get what we want?
No, it doesn't!
Sometimes people give us things we "need" and not necessarily something we want.
Our heavenly Father is like that, too.
He knows better than we do what we need.
I believe He gives great thought and care in selecting these "gifts," too!
Regardless of whether the gift is something we desired or something we needed, they are gifts, especially selected by our Father just for us.
He knows the intended purpose for each and every gift.
None is given without great aforethought.
In light of that, shouldn't we be careful to give thanks for both - the gifts that we want
and the gifts that we need?
Both are good because they come from Him.
Our Father, the Giver of "every good gift and every perfect gift."
May you receive every good and perfect gift chosen by Him just for you with a grateful heart!
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