THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

On my birthday last year, our daughter made her three children bring me presents.  From the youngest one, I received a bookmark, made just for me.  It contains no picture, no written notes, only ink scratches. But to this day I have kept it; and every time I look at it, I smile and feel happy.  To me it was a special gift because it was given out of love by his little two-year old hand.

We do not always give the right gift and we do not always receive the right gift.  Despite our good intention sometimes people do not appreciate our gift; similarly, despite their good intention, we do not appreciate their gift. The reason is obvious: We do not get what we expect.  And sometimes we just do not see what good the gift is.

The same goes with God’s gift.  At times we do think that God has given us the wrong gift.  We have little to no use of it or we simply do not understand what that gift is for.  Worse yet, there are times we just do not see it as a gift.  We either dismiss it as nothing or we look at it as a burden, a problem, a pain.  It is like God gives us a bookmark—which we have little use—that contains ink scratches with no message at all—which is confusing, to say the least.

I do not claim to know everything that God gives us.  I must admit sometimes I, too, am puzzled by what God gives me.  But this much I know: Whatever it is, He gives it to us out of an abundance of love.  There is no malicious intent, just pure love.  And whatever it is He gives us serves to remind us of His abiding presence and love.

A bookmark is useful, but its greatest use is not to help us recall where we were in our reading, but rather to help us remember what it signifies.  So, watch out for bookmarks God sends our way.

Pastor Paul