Early this year, I bought a birthday present for a friend. He travelled frequently and in one of our trips together, I noticed he didn't have a travel document wallet when he pointed out mine was quite useful. At that time, I saw an opportunity to bless him with something I thought he would like and would find useful. To say I searched through the city for an appropriate one would not be an understatement. I even called on another friend for his help and opinion. His birthday came and so did his present.
In the trips we made together later, I still hadn't seen any evidence of this present being used. I had hoped that he would have used it and found it useful. I asked him why he wasn't using it and he said, "it's very nice, but I'm used to carrying my documents at the at the back of my pocket. That was I always know where it is. The travel wallet is a little too bulky". So, it sits somewhere at the back of his drawers.
A few months ago, this same friend got himself a new phone. While sussing out accessories and options he saw something that he was going to find useful and wanted but he got busy for a bit and had to go away. It wasn't a very dear item so I thought I would try again to bless him. This time I walked all around town to find the same make and model of the accessory he saw. I got very excited when I found it and got it on the spot. "I got a little something for you - I think you'll find it useful", I said.
I was going to surprise him when we met next, but in the little time that passed between then, it turned out that he had already acquired the something like the accessory he wanted by a roadside stall. It served the same purpose of protection, but it was a different make, a different colour and a thinner material. A little dissapointed at my efforts, I gave him his gift anyway. At least now he'd have an option. But he seemed to like that his choice looked "better" and "cooler" even though it was harder to use.
Now that phone protector has a tear at its side. He seems to like his current one and while I agree it definitely looks cooler, I can't help but wonder if or when he will change it for the other as it falls apart. If he does I hope he'll change it for the one I got him.
- - - - - - - - - - -
What has all this got to do with a glimpse into the heart of God?
See, there's this guy and he loves us so much he went and got us the most valuable gift he could ever get us. And this gift, he knows how good it is, how useful we would find it if we used it. No money in the world would be able to buy it but he gave it to us. Yet we don't always accept his gifts. We tell him,
"Thanks, I can see its very useful but I'm kinda used to the way I did things, besides its too much of a hassle".
He still loves us anyway and wants to keep blessing us. And maybe sometimes, we come close to seeing how useful it could be for us. He keeps trying but we say,
"Thanks a lot for the effort! I really appreciate what you had to go through for it. But isn't what I've got myself cooler and better looking?" rather than seeing the gift as a reflection of his love for us.
I bet God kind of agrees somethings look cooler than others, he is The Creative Artist afterall. But I bet too, that he still hopes that as our own props tear away at the seams and fall apart, that we will remember the gift of his Son that he gave us, take it out from under the drawers, dust it and use it
for our own sake.
