The Gift – March 18, 2021

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

The Gift

My grandparents grew up as neighbors. In fact, my grandfather remembered the day that Grandma was born. They dated for seven years as they couldn’t afford to get married during the Depression. They were married for 68 years. The only night they slept in separate beds was when one was in the hospital. When Grandma died, Grandpa felt every pillow at the funeral home to see if it was soft enough for his bride. Shortly after, Grandpa died of a broken heart—shared experiences cement relationships.

Consider the shared experiences between God the Father and God the Son. Together they conferred before creation, “Let us make mankind in our image” (Genesis 1:26). Together they could reminisce how they rescued Noah and his family during the flood. Together they delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. Together, together, together. Imagine how close that relationship was and is. And yet, at just the right time, God the Father sent his Son into the world. God the Father so loved the world that he gave “his one and only Son.”

We can’t even fathom what a tremendous gift this was! It’s so easy to go through life and look at what we don’t have. Or we look at the gifts that God has given us with a bit of disappointment. “That’s it, Lord? Isn’t there something more?” But when we take a step back and look at the gift that God has given us, when we consider that God gave us “his one and only Son,” we realize a little more what it means that God so loved the world. And I pray, we will never say, “That’s it?” again. Savor the sweetness of this indescribable gift.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to never take you for granted. Open my eyes to see what a testimony you are of the Father’s love for me. Amen.