You May Be Missing Out: How To Receive the Best Gifts (One Word)

God offers. How often do we really receive? 

I mean really RECEIVE: as in hands and hearts open to welcome whatever He fills them with. 

How often do we really receive what God offers, as in hands and hearts open to welcome whatever God fills them with? Click To Tweet

As I reflect on 2015 and project forward to 2016, I’m realizing a bit of lack in that accepting and welcoming department. Oh, I’m quick to welcome good and fun gifts, those ones all wrapped pretty and topped with a bow. 

But those given with a bit of dust on them or in plain brown paper. Well, those are received with a bit more hesitancy. 

The Best Gifts

After all, it’s human nature to be drawn to the biggest, brightest, best-looking gifts.

Yet I’ve discovered through the years that the best gifts often come disguised. An apparent missed opportunity, a hardship or struggle, a difficult relationship. When unwrapped, they reveal great beauty. 

The best gifts often come disguised, but when unwrapped, they reveal great beauty. Click To Tweet

God blesses His children in amazing ways. Some obvious blessings; some subtle; some almost impossible to see right away.

Yet the Lord promises that He only has our good in mind. And it’s the Lord’s Divine nature in us that opens our eyes to the beauty of those smaller, duller, homelier ones. 

If we continue to view the world with the power of our sight, we’ll miss the blessings of those lesser gifts. But tapping into the power of His sight, opens our eyes to see differently, to see what has been previously hidden. 

Willingly Receive

And as I ask God what His best is for me in 2016, I sense His nudge, an unheard still-small voice that whispers, “just open and receive it as it comes, all of it!” 

God blesses His children in amazing ways: some obvious; some subtle; some almost impossible to see right away. Click To Tweet

Willingly receive it all? The hard, the sad, the unknown?

Yes! Because we can’t pick and choose the gifts we want. How ungrateful would that be! Not only is it ungrateful but it’s foolish to reject part/much of what the King of kings has for us.

Yet so many of us do. To some extent we all do. 

But I want to see my life with the power of His sight.

I want to sense all the good He gives.

I want to be open to all He has for me. 

I want to say “Yes, Lord” and “Here I am, Lord” and “Thank you, Lord” without first vetting the offering. 

I want my actions to scream, “I trust you, Lord, with whatever you have for me!”

I want to be a child of the Father who asks for answers less and accepts what’s given more often with praise and thanksgiving, no matter how the gifts are wrapped. 

New One Word

In 2013, I felt God calling me to PERSEVERE. In 2014, I knew I needed to concentrate on ways to SAVOR my life. In 2015, I accepted the scary focus of GROWTH.

This year, in 2016, I feel God calling me to willingly RECEIVE all His gifts, not just those shiny pretty ones, but all He bestows on and allows to come to me. 

I feel God calling me to willingly #RECEIVE all His gifts, not just those shiny pretty ones. My One Word 2016. #oneword365 Click To Tweet

For in their hidden beauty lie the greatest gifts of all, just waiting to be revealed. 

In the hidden beauty of less-pretty gifts lie the greatest blessings of all just waiting to be revealed. Click To Tweet

Will you receive them with me?

But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.” Job 2:10 NLT

Reflections: Do you have a one word for the New Year or do you make several resolutions? What steps do you put into practice to ensure you remain focused on your one word or the goals you choose for the year?

Happy to be joining Bonnie Gray, the Faith Barista, for her #OneWordCoffee linkup. 

And there is a One Word community, where instead of focusing on a list of resolutions, a single one-word focus is chosen for the year. It’s fascinating and inspiring! Check out the one words at One Word 365.

By His grace ≈

Julie