A Musing about gifts from God -10/4/23



But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

The Reverend Doctor Tom Long is a professor of homiletics at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. He is a marvelous preacher and teacher.

Recently, I heard him share a story about going to the grocery store, which he claims to hate to do. He said on this day it was worse because there were people there who were enjoying shopping.

One particular couple had turned shopping into a game. It was a mother and her son. The mother would tell the son what item was next on the list, and he would run off to find it. For example, she would say aluminum foil, and he knew her brand and took off to find it and then bring it back to the cart. They would both clap and cheer, and then it was all for the next item.

Eventually, as happens in all grocery stores, Dr. Long came upon these two shoppers. In the middle of the aisle, he realized that the young man was mentally challenged with Down Syndrome.

The mother caught him looking at them playing their game. Somewhat embarrassed when the child took off for the next item, Dr. Long complimented the mother on the marvelous relationship she had with her son.

She looked at him and said emphatically, "Thank you; my son is a gift from God."

This mother couldn't change the reality of the difficulties her child would face. She couldn't wave a magic wand and make his life better or easier. There was no magic potion available for her to take, which would give her more energy that, surely, she needed in being a mother. But what she had done was more valuable than any of those things.

This woman had recognized her child as a gift from God and named him such. She had named him and claimed him as God's very own. She knew that her son, just like every other child born on this planet, was beautifully and wonderfully made by our Creator.

Friends, what a magnificent testimony to the love of God and her own recognition that she had been given the opportunity to share the light of God's love through her relationship with her son. She indeed knew she had been chosen as a royal ambassador to demonstrate the kingdom of God. May we each seek to see each other just as this mother saw her beautiful son and then demonstrate such love.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Alleluia, Amen.

Have a great week.

Clay