Rejected Gift

Have you ever had someone refuse your gift?

It hurts, huh? It's the sort of insult that undoubtedly ranks in the top five.

I recently had someone reject a gift I had given them.

"I don't want your present; I am returning it to you later!"

"You can't return a present. I want you to have it."

"Nope, I will bring it by later."

OUCH!

Too cheap, too expensive, too ugly, too pretty, not useful, have too many, don't like it, don't like you...the reason doesn't matter. The rejection of the gift brings emotional pain. And, in this case, to intensify the sting of the jab was the fact that the present was perfect, carefully selected for the need and desires of that person.

As I allowed myself to reflect on the experience and the pain of the situation, God drew a parallel in my mind. And so goes the revelation...

This is exactly what we do when we say, "No," to God's grace. God gave us the ultimate gift, the life of His first born, only, perfect son. A gift carefully selected for the needs and desires of His people.

And not only does God give us a gift; but, He also rids us of the junk so that the gift is better appreciated and displayed in our lives.

AMAZING!

Better yet, there is nothing we have to do to earn the gift and there is nothing we can do to have the gift taken from us. It's free. A pure gift without any attached strings. It's a gift of the most precious kind.

INDESCRIBABLE!

But look around. Not everyone has chosen to accept the gift. Many have rejected the gift.

And if that isn't bad enough, many of us (that have initially accepted the present) reject it in another way: abuse. We sit the gift on a shelf and allow it to be tarnished. We never allow it to take full presence in our lives and radiate. Or, there are some of us who store it away in hidden closets only to bring it out when we need it.

We cheapen the gift. We cheapen God's grace.

So I began to wonder, when we refuse His gift does God feel like I do when someone refuses my gift?

By our rejection of the gift, how badly are we hurting our father?

I would have to say that God's heart wails when we reject his gift! And the insult? Wow...we might as well spit on the foot of the cross!

Untitled

Social butterfly
Great location
Lots of things
Nice things
Lonely apartment

Fast pace
Thriving career
Money
Spending money
Barren Soul

City lights
Dancing
Music
Loud music
Vacant arms

Laughing
Flirting
Kissing
Lots of kissing
Empty heart

© 4-13-06 Allison G Ferguson

Signs of Easter

Did you know that the Pine Trees tell us when Easter is coming?

Check out this link...

Click here: PINE TREE CROSSES ~ Wanda's Country Home

"Not Your Buddy"

I borrowed this article from a friend's blog ("Sweet Southern Life")...thanks Melissa...in hopes that it will get even more exposure. It is very insightful and seems like it would be very beneficial to anyone who reads it. The article is titled, "Not Your Buddy," by Suzanne Hadley. Here is an peak at the article:

'Women, on the other hand, need to assume less. A woman should not assume that a guy friend she's spending time with is: a) just too shy to make a move; b) thinking she's the woman of his dreams but the timing isn't right; c) in denial of God's will that they be together.

We get it. A woman loves to read into a guy's every action. That's her relational crime. But the guy does her a disservice by allowing her to be his "buddy girl" — a female friend who provides the relational benefits without the commitment.

In his article "Physical Intimacy and the Single Man," Matt Schmucker points out that men defraud their sisters when they indulge in this type of relationship. "Simply put," he writes, "a man defrauds a woman when, by his words or actions, he promises the benefits of marriage to a woman he either has no intention of marrying or if he does, has no way of finally knowing that he will."'

Check it out...

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001200.cfm