I don't want any gifts from you!

This morning starting at about 5.16am I started receiving gifts. 

 I woke up.  Great blessing after age 70.  I could move.   Slowly and with pain, but I loosened up and soon the pain was much less.  

 Had the gift of a cup of Texas pecan coffee. Ground it myself and it smelled good grinding and as the hot water poured over the crushed beans.  I put some gift from some cows into the cup and it was absolutely wake up arousing to my spirit.  

 I only had time for one cup as a headed to a meeting of some guys and the host gave me and some other guys the gift of cinnamon rolls, donuts, sausage rolls and some more coffee.  He usually has a donation jar for some orphans in Africa, but it was not there today.

I had my second cup and a sausage roll and sat down to some good friendship time.

I still had it in my mind that I wanted to gift a gift to someone today like I had been given.  I wanted to pay it forward.  Now I am not usually thinking this way though I wish I were.  I left this meeting and headed to my local Sprouts Grocery store and later a Walmart.   

At the Walmart there was a couple in front of me that had a couple of items at the end of their check out that they decided not to purchase.  These were very inexpensive produce items.  I think a couple of cucumbers and an onion.   

I saw them having a conversation with the check out lady and they ended up not taking them.  I thought, “Here is my chance.  They free sausage roll and coffee are less than those items, but at least it’s a chance.”  I told the checker to add these to my bill and give them to the couple.  She said, “Sir this man wants to give this to you as a gift.”  Unfortunately, he said “No.”  She insisted.  He said, “Definitely not.”

This little story isn’t said to tell you how generous I am because the fact is that this was not some act of generosity on my part.  The story is to say that so often I too am offered gifts that I say “No”. 

A cool early fall morning with the roof open and the windows down and my heated seats making me happy.

I take for granted the joy of hearing the voice of my daughter, she was sick yesterday with a bug but is good today. 

A hug from my wife as I rush out the door.  Not enough time.

 

“A smile and how ya doin?” from a guy at my health club. I discount with a thought, “He doesn’t mean it.  It’s just a greeting.”

A free country where I have abundance available to me every day that 1/3 of the population of the world would be glad to have as their food for the day.

An opportunity to pray for our country, cry for our country, watch out for our country and vote for the leaders of our country.

God help me to enjoy receiving your good gifts and pass them along.

Luke 7.

³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. They will ^[w]pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Acts 20.

³⁵ In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

2 Corinthians 9

⁶ Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ^[e]bountifully will also reap ^[f]bountifully. ⁷ Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ⁹ as it is written,

“He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,
His righteousness ^[g]endures forever.”

¹⁰ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹ you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God

Larry Wishard

10.26.16