The Wonder of Gifts

A week ago today was our son's thirtieth birthday.  As is the tradition in our household, we gave him thirty birthday presents.  Most of these presents were small, practical presents, but still, it is fun to open thirty presents of any sort and his wit and humor made it fun for us to watch him open them.

 (Photo credit: Will Clayton)

 Today is my husband's birthday and his turn to open presents.  Tonight our whole family will gather together to celebrate the birthdays of these two men who mean so much to us.


While we usually think of things when we hear the word gift, people are so much so a gift to us than are things.  Especially since people -- those who know the Lord Jesus Christ -- are eternal. 

My husband and my son are two of the most precious gifts I have ever been given and I could never thank the Lord enough for them.

If I wrote on this blog every moment of every day for the rest of my life I could not begin to express how these two men have blessed my heart in the thirty-six years I have known them.  If I had to choose only one word to describe them both I would choose the same word: faithful.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My son is a United States Marine.  Semper Fidelis. . . Always Faithful. 

He is a Force Recon Marine.  When he told us he wanted to become a Marine he told us he wanted to become "the best of the best" and he did.  He has been faithful to protect and defend the United States Constitution through two deployments and I've never heard him complain or grumble about doing so.  For him, it was "his job".

He is also a Police Officer.  He spends his time away from the Marine Corps defending the streets of our city.  He puts his life on the line to protect the lives of others and he is faithful to do so.

My husband is the epitome of the word faithful.  Webster's defines faithful in this way:

• • full of faith 
  • steadfast in affection or allegiance : loyal
  • firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : conscientious
  • given with strong assurance : binding ; a faithful promise
  • true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original; a faithful copy

I can't think of any part of this definition that doesn't relate to my husband. He is absolutely full of faith.  He is steadfast in his allegiance first of all to his Lord, to his family and to his friends. 

His faithfulness to his sense of duty is what strikes me so much about him.  He is going to do those things which the Lord has given him to do, he is going to be there. Period.  He has a strong assurance, a faithful promise and it is true to the facts, to the standard, the original --the Word of God.

It is such a blessing to me to have the gifts of these men in my life.  My daughters, my grandchildren of course, are equal gifts to me, but the week between my husband and my son's birthday is always a time for me to reflect upon the gift the Lord has given me in these two men.

We all  have those around us who are gifts -- let us "open" those packages and enjoy what the Lord has placed in our lives for our enjoyment, for our encouragement, for our instruction, for strengthening in our walk with Him.  Most of all, let us acknowledge that it is the Lord who has graciously given these wonderful "gifts" to us and never cease to thank the Lord for them.

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 

Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,  

For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;" 

Philippians 1:3-5

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

and cometh down from the Father of lights, 

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." 

James 1:17