THE GIFT OF TIME
El Regalo de Tiempo
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Saturday, November 30, 2019
Some gifts cannot be wrapped and tied with a bow on top. [Photographer: Public Domain Pictures 17913. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
It seemed that every time our grandson came to see us, he wanted to play the board game of Monopoly. The problem was that his visits were usually limited to an hour-and-a-half or two hours at most. Monopoly usually requires longer stretches of time than that. He was not deterred, but continued to beg to play that particular game. No other board game would satisfy him.
Since his birthday occurs right after Christmas, it happened that he had the opportunity around his fourteenth birthday to visit us for an entire afternoon and evening. Knowing that we could not count on having this much time with him again, we decided to make playing Monopoly with us one of his gifts because he had wanted it so badly. When we told him that one of his gifts was that of spending time together playing Monopoly, he seemed disappointed that his gift was not something he could unwrap.
It took some discussion to help him understand that time and opportunity are gifts and that he was getting what he had said he wanted. We said, "If you prefer a gift that you can unwrap, then you cannot ask again to play Monopoly because you once had the opportunity and the time to play it but you turned it down." It was a tough decision for a young fellow, but he wanted so much to play it that he chose to play the game.
Not everyone understands that time and opportunity are gifts that are only available for a short period of time. [Photographer: Rachel Towne. Photo courtesy of Stockvault.net.]
At that age, our grandson had difficulty understanding that his time with us is limited. Since his grandfather and I have always been around, he could not understand that we won't always be here on earth. It was our intention to help him comprehend that time spent with us and with others is a gift. We hope that eventually he will look back in fondness on the afternoon and evening that we devoted to him playing the game he wanted.
Because time doesn't come wrapped in a box with a bow on top, our grandson is not the only one that doesn't always recognize it for the gift that it is. While some realize that our time here on earth is a gift from God, many people don't. Even fewer people understand that the time we set aside to spend with God is our reciprocal gift to Him. Although many people understand that when they receive a gift from an earthly person, they are expected to give one in return to that same person, few people comprehend that they should treat God the same way.
God has given us so much, including the gift of His Son. [Photographer: Alois Grundner. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
He has been so generous in giving us so much — including His Son as well as the gift of time. The Bible tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV) Consequently, we should reciprocate by giving Him time as well. Spending time with Him is our gift to Him. We don't have to spend it telling Him our troubles or our needs because He already knows those. We can spend it singing hymns or songs of praise. We can also spend it reading the Bible, which is His Word, or in memorizing Bible verses so that when we need them, they are ready for our use. God is not hard to please. A simple "Thank You, God" when we receive an opportunity is also our gift to Him.
And, speaking of gifts, this posting completes our tenth year of sharing inspiration with you. Each one has been free of advertisements of any kind. Nor have we asked for contributions from you. We are not certain how long we can continue to present them this way, but we will continue to do so as long as the Lord permits. These postings are our gift to you. We hope they have inspired you and that they will continue to do so.
BIBLE VERSE FOR THIS POSTING
John 3:16 — For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)
Juan 3:16 — Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna. (Reina-Valera 1960)
Merry Christmas! [Photographer: Hannah Louise. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
