Something Special

My youngest daughter slipped a folded up piece of paper in to my hand, as we sat side by side in church. She whispered, “Here I made this for you.”

Opening it up, there was a picture of a person sitting at a table, smiling and holding a heart.

The next picture revealed a drawing of God, handing my daughter a heart that said, "I love you" on it. She was smiling, eager to receive the gift.

“Tell me about it, honey," I whispered back to her, “What is happening?”

She smiled, “In the first picture, God is making me something special and in the next one, He is giving it to me because He loves me, and I am very happy.”

What a beautiful reminder from a little girl, full of faith and confident of Who God is, to me who needed the reminder. I love the way she sees God sitting down, filled with joy, making her something special. And then how she stands happily next to Him, eager to receive the gift that He is giving her, a gift made with love and marked by the truth that He loves her.

Dear reader, in times of trial or in times of peace, God has prepared good things for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). They are made with His love and marked with His love. He makes them, creates them in His own powerful and loving Hands, and it brings Him joy to give them to us. They may be tangible gifts and they may be intangible ones, like joy, peace, confidence, strength, and long-suffering. Let us strive -- no, let us rest -- let us rest and possess a child-like faith. Then let us be aware of and joyful in seeing the love of God extended to us, and confidently reach out and accept it.