Gift-Ability

Have you ever made a gift for someone? Handmade gifts are often thought of us "less-expensive", or a budget conscious way to give- but think about a really nice hand made gift.

My sister made T and I a quilt this last year. T and Kimmy went down with Roberta- my sister- and went to the fabric store and hand selected the fabric. This fabric was chosen specifically by them and for a specific application and for a specific person. "Berta" then asked what dimensions we would like the quilt to be. More specifics. She then laid it all out, basically on the entire floor of her living room, to prepare the fabric by cutting it a certain way and I can't begin to know all the rest of the things that went into this process. She made it, with love, to give to us- no one else.

Teresa and I just got back from China a few weeks ago. While in China we went to many places that sell all kinds of fabric and some of them even sell quilts. I am sure the fabric used in some of those quilts is very nice fabric, but none of those quilts interest me as much as the one that currently covers our bed. Why do you suppose that is? Sure, there is some sentimental value there, but it is because someone dear to me hand selected and hand made this quilt for me. She made it so I would love it and I do.

Why do I go through all this? In J Sarr's message on Wed. night, from 1 Peter 2:4-10 Jonathan was talking about how we are living stones and we are chosen by God. Get your head around that Christians are hand selected by God. Why did God choose me and you to be His children? It was not so He could put us on a shelf to be sold off like some off the rack comforter- it was so we would be to the praise of His glory- Eph. 1;11-14. J Sarr then said something I not only wrote down but underlined in my notes; "we are a gift the Father is going to give to the Son".

OK- now think back on your thoughts about hand made gifts. God the Father selected us to be gifts given to the Son. Again, He didn't choose us to give us to just anyone- He chose us to give to His Only Loved Son. Even more than we are able to give good gifts, the Father gives perfect gifts and if there is anyone that He will not skimp on in the giving good gifts category- it is His Son.

Imagine- we are chosen by the Father to be given to the Son, as a gift. All the "work" that the Father allows to go into us makes the gift specifically for the Son. He didn't choose us because we are so special, but because He knew that since He chose us to give to the Son- that is what would make us special. It's not that the fabric in the quilt is so special by itself, but that the fabric is in the quilt and the maker of the quilt is special to the receiver of the quilt that really makes it special.

When J Sarr said "We are gifts to be given to the Son by the Father" I was distracted by that thought. He may have said something really important after that, but I didn't hear it. Questions flood my mind as I think about being a gift that is going to be given to the Son. What kind of a gift would I be? Would the way that I am using my life be a gift worth receiving? Am I actually a good gift because of how I am spending my life? It really is crazy to think that the best gift that the Father can give the Son is me. I wouldn't be excited about giving me as a gift to the Son, let alone someone else- but for some reason the Father is.

I don't want this to turn into a giant post so I will close with "Are we, each one of us, gifts that are befitting the King of kings Who laid down His life for us?" That's what the verse says, so it must be true. How are you feeling about your gift-ability?