The nature of a gift is unsettling. A gift cannot be forced, it can’t be pressured into receiving it.
The power of a gift is in present tense. It can have a past element but that is a mere memory even nostalgia. If we think of it in the future, I wonder whether it’s a gift or more of an expectation of a reward.
The gift of love and friendship is not something that can be manufactured. It “happens”, and when it does nothing can stop it. And yet, after it “happens”, there’s no guarantee that it will last.
We might nurture what began as a “gift”, or perhaps try our best to preserve it, but even the whole “happenings” after the moment the gift is received is less predictable than we would wish.
Humans are dynamic, and full of complexities which baffles any psychologist or anthropologist, whether as individuals or as a group. One might wish to predict the possible trajectories in which a relationship might progress or regress, but we will be disappointed if we want certainty. Our disappointments are many.
And yet, the nature of a gift is that it surprises us, and comes at a most unexpected juncture. We can only treasure the gift, appreciate the giver, live in gratefulness, and live in the light of the gift, even after it’s been given whether weeks ago or years past.
Hmmm.. seems that my random thoughts aren’t that random today. Well .
In a world where we think so much in terms of rewards and achievements, I wonder whether we’ve lost the capacity to appreciate “gifts” when it’s offered. There will still be all this works-based give and take, but once we lost our “giftedness”, and “the giving and receiving” grace of gifts, we’re more than lost, we lose.
Ewan our youngest 3 year boy blessed me lately with quite a few little “gifts” expressing unconditional love and affection.
He surprised me with a little hug around my neck from behind while I was listening to some music and sitting on the floor.He slept on my chest for a short time before drifting to sleep for his afternoon nap. He’s sitting on my lap now even as I hammer on the keys sharing about him. 🙂
These are gifts which I treasure. Ewan is a conduit for these glimpses of God’s grace which we so need these days. There will be others who serve as a channel for such blessings at different seasons of our lives.
It’s not all rosy for sure. Some gifts are a little bit more painful, because the nature of giving and receiving them may not fit into conventional categories. But they are gifts nonetheless. Perhaps, one day we could fully grasp the effects of those kind of gifts on our lives. Someday. The last day.
Today? I’m simply open to the gift of life – and the little gifts that come along.
With a grateful heart, I order my thoughts around the Giver, our creator, loving Father of all.