The purpose of life is simple — to accept the gift of love that God so desperately wants to give us and share that gift with others.
But we get so distracted by the pretty paper the gift comes wrapped in, that we forget to open the box to see what’s inside.
We get so caught up in the newness of love that we forget that to really experience the heights and depths of love, we have to explore what’s inside the box — the people — who God sends for us to share it with.
The older we get, the harder it becomes to see beyond the wrapping. Because the mistakes of the past scare us into thinking that’s all there is. We are too hurt, too jaded, and too scared to go beneath the surface to reveal the precious gift inside.
Life usually offers opportunities only once. If we reject or discard them, She rarely offers us a do over.
But sometimes a gift is so special, and God wants so badly for us to have it, that She gives us another chance to accept it.
So it is with the gift of Love. It’s so precious, that God wraps it up and gives it to us, not just once, but again and again.
The problem is, She uses the exact same gift wrapping as before. And its distraction is just as powerful.
But here’s the paradox.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the paper the gift comes wrapped in. It’s the anticipation that makes the connection with the gift inside the box that much more special.
The danger of the do over is that we filter it through the mistakes of the past.
“Why, God, are you giving me this again?” you ask.
“Because love is all there is,” comes the gentle response.
The gift of love comes in many disguises. Avoiding it because you’re afraid of misusing it is avoiding the very thing that will connect you to the thing you crave most … a connection with the Eternal.
Release your fears. Embrace the do over.
Enjoy the gift wrapping. But remember the joy that awaits for you inside the box.
All you have to do is open it.
Trading Barbs With Barb 