Simple Gifts

I forgot that it was Friday.

The kids were finally off from school for Christmas break and my husband took the day off, too. It felt like a Saturday and we all slept in - a simple luxury reserved for that one day each week.

Tiny Boy got up and climbed in bed with us. It is such a comfy, cozy place that it did not take long for him to fall asleep again. I stayed awake, savoring the moment.



The cheery yellow room, dusky with the early morning light.

Flannel sheets and a heavy comforter to ward off the chill of the wintery, snow-covered morning.

The smell of a warm little head pressed close against my chest.

Papa Bear snoring on one side, Baby Bear snoring on the other, Mama Bear sighing contentedly in the middle.

It seems that God is reminding me at every turn to stop and smell the roses. To enjoy the moments. To treasure them in my heart like Mary did. The word "treasure" means to "regard something as valuable." Scripture tells us that after all of these amazing events: the Angel of God coming to Mary, her visit with Elizabeth, the Angel's visit to Joseph, the Shepherd's fantastic story...  Mary tucked these things in her heart so that she could think over them again. (Luke 2:19, 33)

She regarded these moments as valuable and thought back to them many times throughout her life.

Like His "first-born son" offering at the Temple where the Prophet Simeon runs to Him and blesses Him, then the prophetess Anna comes just at that moment and does the same. (Luke 2:25-38)

When Wise Men from another country showed up at the house, announcing that they had come to worship this special Child-King. (Matthew 2: 1-12)

Or Joseph's dream, warning them of the danger to Jesus' life and their hasty midnight journey out of the country, followed by the horrendous news reports of the infanticide of ALL baby boys! (Matthew 2:13-23)

Perhaps each and every time Jesus did something that amazed her throughout His childhood. (Luke 2:40)

Or the time that He astonished the Rabbis in the Temple with His understanding of the scriptures - (He should understand it - He wrote it! Luke 2:41-52)

I wonder if she was thinking of these things at the wedding in Cana when she said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." (John 2:1-12) He had not even introduced Himself to the world and started His official ministry! He had not done any public miracles that are recorded in scripture up to this point. But she remembered Who He was, and she knew what He was cappable of, so her faith in Him prompted her to tell others to trust Him also.

I do not have a child who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords so I do not have those kinds of moments to treasure. But I am a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He gives the simple gift of special moments. I, then, have the opportunity to choose to treasure them - to tuck them away in my heart and be thankful for them, or to be too busy to notice. To see the world through His eyes, or to be so self-absorbed that I miss the simple gifts happening all around me at any given moment.

I am slowly learning to make the better choice.

What Simple Gifts have you been given today? Don't forget to take the time to notice!

photo credit

4 comments:

Priscilla Junck said...

Thank you so much for the reminder of the treasures we have that we take for granted everyday. Things have been so crazy around here lately. This week has been a welcome releif. We have been blessed with the flu this week and so it has made us be home bodies which I am thankful for. I was thinking this same thing as I was holding my wee one at 4:00 AM as she was getting sick, these are moments that can also be treasured.

MFEO2009 said...

Great post!
I am sitting here reading blogs and hoping to comment, write and then get to the laundry...but my daughter is on winter vacation and keeps interrupting to sing me songs and talk to me about party ideas! lol
It's easy to say, "I'm busy, show me later" but in the back of my mind I know that I need to put things aside to make time for her. The writing and laundry can wait. :)

Confessions of a Martha said...

Amen! I am such a Martha that I often find myself saying "just a minute" - - enough that my two year old now says it when I say, "come here." What an example I have set! I am slowly learning to treasure the midnight snuggles and to turn my attention to an interrupting child. Maybe by the time I am done parenting, I will have all of my priorities straight. Oh, that it could have been so the whole time!

Gail @ http://biblelovenotes.com said...

What a warm and wonderful post...I picture myself exactly as you described it at earlier moments of my life. I still have such sweet moments now, but they are with grandchildren involved. Thank you for sharing this post on Bless a Blogger. I'm praying for you and your blog ministry as I stop by today. May you have a wonderful weekend and a wonderful week! Bless you! Gail

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