Thanks(for)giving

Thank you. These are words that we use to show our appreciation when repayment is inadequate. Sometimes I think the words are overused. At other times the words fall short of the full measure of our feelings of gratitude. We are thankful for a gift. It may be a deed or a present but it is always at the hands of another person. Mostly I am thankful for the person.

I do not say thank you to my car for delivering me places. It is not an expression for things that do their job. I might say thanks to the mechanic who keeps my car running. When I had a warning light flash on my way out of town I called him and he stayed open late to check it out and get me on my way safely. I said thank you several times to him.

In Ephesians 4:11 Paul says, “And He personally gave some to be…” The gift in this passage is the person. In fact, for me many of God’s best gifts are the people He has placed in my life, as I am sure He has in yours.

Thanks for giving of your time, talents, and treasure to build God’s kingdom in His church. Your gifts are not only appreciated but necessary for us to be the Church God wants us to be. As we celebrate Thanksgiving with our families take time to remember the people who have been gifts to you this year.

Bro. Robin

Priceless Pearls

Jesus tells the story, in Matthew 13:45-46, about a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. When he found one of exceptional quality, a priceless pearl, he sold everything else to buy that one. The interesting part of the story is that he was looking for so special, not to see how many pearls he could accumulate. He knew that hidden among valuable items there was something beyond value, worth everything he had.

Sometimes the treasure we go looking for is the most valuable to us. Sometimes it is the hidden treasure that we find along the way that means the most to us. The pearl merchant’s story may appear to have been an accidental discovery, one pearl among millions, but it was a discovery he was prepared to make. He committed his life to keep his eyes open to see the priceless among the average in a world surrounded by value.

The parable is about the kingdom of God. Finding Jesus and having a relationship with God through Him is not another pearl. He is a priceless pearl worth giving up everything to have. He considered us each to be a priceless pearl as well.

The discovery of priceless pearls brings about life changing experiences. Our relationship with God is a priceless pearl. Finding a spouse, a life-long friend, is a priceless pearl. Some words of wisdom are called pearls. Learning a life changing lesson and making an important decision can be priceless pearls too.

How many of us see the world around us filled with valuable treasure? And then, how many of us have our eyes tuned to see the exceptional among the valuable? Maybe I have become a cynic, but I do not know many pearl merchants. I think this story challenges us to raise our standards, open our eyes, and see the pearls that are all around us. There are valuable people, valuable moments, and valuable opportunities that pass before our eyes every day. We have to be able to see the pearls before we will ever be able to find a priceless pearl among them.

This month of thanksgiving I thank God for the pearls He has placed around me. I am especially thankful for the priceless pearls that change my life for the better, and the ability He has given me to recognize many of them.
Bro. Robin