He's Readying Gifts

"God comes through mangers.  The mundance holds miracles.  Every little thing is going to be okay - you have a Kinsman-Redeemer who takes you and is redeeming everything.  The miracle of gifts is always unfolding under the impossibles.

The miracle of gifts. . .is never not coming.

When your Father's hand isn't readily apparent, it's only because He's readying gifts.  Gifts always come out of the unseen and hidden places."

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

God is readying gifts for us.

Isn't that what we do at the Christmas season?

Follow with me, if you will.

We prepare lists.

We shop until we drop.

We wrap them. . . pretty paper, curly ribbon, glittering bows.

Then we hide them - in a really good hiding place - so they won't be discovered before the big day.

Then, finally, that day we've been not so patiently waiting for is here.

We bring the gifts out and with great excitement and anticipation, they are opened!

Finally!!

That which was hoped for has come!

But, now, see it this way - 

". . . . He's readying gifts."

Can you imagine Him preparing lists?
Can you imagine Him shopping?
Oh, not the way we shop, but knowing you the way He does, He plans the "perfect" gift - just for you.

Then He wraps them, not with paper, ribbons and bows, but with the everyday trappings of our ordinary lives; He wraps them in people, trials, decisions, failures, disappointments, successes, sweet times and triumphs; He wraps them with life.

And though He doesn't hide them intentionally, they are hidden to us until just the right day; the right moment; in the fullness of His time; just when we need them!

Funny thing about gifts - they are not always what we want; what we've hoped for; what we've imagined.  That beautiful package may hold an ugly sweater or a blender; not the piece of jewelry we'd been dreaming about.  That poorly wrapped gift that we aren't real anxious to open could be a priceless family heirloom.

The gifts God is readying for us don't always come wrapped the way we would like and once we've unwrapped it, we may often find a "gift" we don't want or a gift we think we'll never use.

Have you ever been disappointed by a gift?
I'm sure you have.

I know I have.

I was at a gift exchange where we were able to go up to a table at the appointed time and pick out the gift we wanted from an array of gaily and beautifully wrapped packages.  Of course, I picked out a very pretty package; one that was very pleasing to my eye and promised great things inside!

Was I disappointed!
It was a Christmas ornament, but it was orange in color!
Can you imagine?
Who gives an orange ornament at Christmas time?
Who even makes an orange ornament for a tree that is traditionally red and green?

I have to be honest with you.
I was chastened by the Lord for my disdain of this gift.
God taught me much about my heart attitude through that gift, not the least was the lack of appreciation, the lack of thankfulness in my heart and the lack of contentment with what I received.

How does your heart react when God gives you a gift?
How does your heart feel when it seems everyone else is receiving a gift and you don't?
How does your heart feel when someone else gets the gift you've been wanting?
How does your heart feel when you're given the gift you need, not necessarily the gift you want?

If your Father's hand isn't readily apparent now, trust that He is "readying gifts" - just for you - and these gifts will be brought out when the time of preparation is complete.

This "time of preparation" is the time when your heart is being made ready to receive, with thanksgiving, the gift God has chosen specifically for you.

He is preparing gifts for us, just as we prepare gifts for others during this season we celebrate His birth.

Prepare your heart to celebrate Him - the greatest gift!