Gifts

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this is not from yourselves, 

it is the gift of God—not by works, 

so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8 

  

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, 

as good stewards of God's varied grace:

1 Peter 4:10 

This time of year, the anticipation of giving and receiving gifts can be such fun.  One of my favorite bloggers named Winn Collier wrote, "Some of us poo-poo gift-giving this time of year, and I acknowledge we've run amuck with our lust for more."  But at its best, gift giving can be a reminder to us that it's all about grace and that we are then invited into a dance of gratitude and joy as we receive gifts and also give from ourselves.  My prayer for you today, Liam, is that God would continue to show you that all of life is a gift and that you would live with gratitude for the gifts given to you as you bear God's image and give of yourself to others.