Day 37 of four more years (originally posted on Facebook on December 13, 2012)
God's treasure! That is what you are! I heard a phrase once which I hope doesn't offend you, "If God had a wallet, your photo would be in it!" That image of how God cherishes us is touching to me. Here is why: When my Dad passed away suddenly in 1988, my Mom went through his things very slowly. After several months of intense grief and shock, we started to heal. And my Mom did a kind thing for me. She gave me a tiny wrinkled envelope with a baby photo of me and a lock of blonde baby curls. This had been in my Daddy's wallet. I had no idea that he had those things of mine in his wallet. That broke a well of tears in my heart, and I loved him more fiercely and think even today of how much he loved me, even though he wasn't a demonstrative man. You see, he was my step-father, even though I never, ever felt like anything but his biological daughter. Daddy never, ever (I know I am repeating myself, but it is so true) treated me any differently than my younger brother and sister. He was just as loving, kind, and forgiving to me and he made me "mind" (I might have been his stepdaughter, but I also was expected to learn obedience.) He was extremely patient (which was not my Mom's strong suit!). He was extremely proud of all three of us! Daddy let us know his expectations were great, but his love superseded any pressure we felt to achieve. He was safe! He let me come up with any crazy idea or scheme and he said, "Ok, let's do it!" From building a replica of the Globe Theatre in England out of popsickle sticks, to taking real grape vines and making a wreath, getting dead fish smell out of crucifix fish for an Easter project or cutting real sticks of cinnamon into tiny pieces to glue on a Christmas decoration. Mom would get exasperated, but Daddy? Never! I loved that about him. He was my McGuyver, if you remember that TV character. He was the man in my life who could fix anything, use anything for another purpose than which it was intended, and encourage all of us. I totally trusted him for all things. We were not wealthy in money but we were abundantly blessed in love! If you ask my brother and sister, I know they would agree: we had an almost perfect childhood, and I am serious about that. Our parents adored each other and us. They were not perfect, but I am still hard pressed to find any fault in them or in how we were raised…plus, we lived in "Paradise!" I had a treasure of a Daddy who considered me his treasure, along with my siblings!
So, just imagine how God treasures us! If my biological, human father, did all of the above for me, just ponder a heavenly Daddy who is so proud that He wants to keep us close to Him. He wants to "show off" our photo…and recognize us not as adopted but as His, all His! Doesn't that make you happy? Don't you want to make Him proud of you? And what would that look like? Making God proud? Winning an election with a cross around your neck at the inauguration, making tons of money and giving it to the poor, writing a bestseller about Him or just having everyone tell you what a great person you are? None of the above. If you haven't already, just accept Him, His gift of eternal life. That is all He really wants from you. None of the other things are bad, but He wants to claim you as His! Show you off as His! He values us just because of who we are. Imagine that? He loves us unconditionally. No matter what we have done, He loves us! So at Christmas, look at that image of the baby Jesus, God's gift to us, and accept it. Be His child! And if you have already accepted Him, worship Him for that. For loving us enough to want to have us live with Him forever! What a Savior! What a Daddy!
"For God so loved _____(insert your name here) that He gave His only Son, that ______ will not perish, but have eternal life!" John 3:16
Heavenly Father (Daddy), Thank you that we are your treasure, your chosen, the apple of your eye and the photo in your wallet. Help us all to joyfully receive your gift at Christmas, unwrap it today and use if to make You proud of us! Amen
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