Aug
12
2022
The Gift In A Plastic Bag
Posted in Worship 2 Comments
We all prepared for our family beach vacation.
We were coming from various homes and locations.
It was about a seven hour drive for most of us.
The drive is never my favorite part of the trip, but once I’m there, I’m fine.
We left around 8:30 in the morning.
Stopping for lunch and a gas fill up, we thought we would arrive by 4:30.
We always get pizza the first night.
I unpack and then go grocery shopping to fill up the cabinets and refrigerator.
Locations were shared so we knew where we all were on the road.
It was then we saw the dreaded red line on the GPS map.
Traffic! Lots of traffic!
To make mater worse, it was also raining.
As we got closer to the Outer Banks, the rain fell in torrents.
I turned off the music, since it was hard to hear it anyway.
The red line on the map would end and then start again.
I saw what I didn’t want to see.
The one road in and out of the Outer Banks was at a standstill.
This road floods easily.
I wondered if that was the problem.
We crossed the bridge and got on that last remaining road.
We would sit on that road in a virtual standstill for almost two hours.
I could have easily gotten out of our car and walked to our house.
That was not possible with the amount of rain and the amount of traffic.
Various parts of the road were beginning to flood in sections.
My youngest daughter had gotten to the house before any of us.
After the code was sent so that she could enter the house, she sent a picture.
The driveway sloped down towards the house and left a pool of water near the garage area.
This would be exactly where we would pull in when we arrived.
We were texting each other and trying to encourage each other.
I felt for my grandchildren who had already been in the car way too long.
We actually had our son’s dog in the car with us.
She was being extremely good and I was very grateful.
One by one we arrived safely to our house for the week by 6:30 that evening.
As one unpacked their car and pulled out of the garage area, another pulled in.
We had a great system to get into the house without getting too wet.
We were all tired and hungry and tried not to allow the horrible drive to affect us.
My husband and I have the master bedroom on the main living floor.
As I was unpacking, my three-year-old granddaughter came into the room.
Grandma, I picked these for you! she said proudly as she handed me a sandwich bag.
Inside the bag were flowers, some might say weeds.
In that moment, they were the most beautiful thing I had seen.
They were exactly what I needed.
My daughter-in-love, her mama, looked in at the two of us.
She wanted to pick these flowers for Grandma; we put a wet towel in there to protect them.
They couldn’t have been more perfect.
I looked at the bag and saw the wilted flowers.
I like these purple ones the best! I said, pointing.
Me, too, she said sweetly with a smile from ear to ear.
I put the sandwich bag on my dresser.
Each day the flowers got more wilted.
Each day the flowers got more beautiful.
I knew the heart from which they came; the precious heart I love so much.
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)
Jesus sees our heart.
Jesus is not interested in our ostentatious gifts or offerings.
Jesus loves the heart that is totally devoted to Him.
Jesus is not interested in how our offering appears to others who are watching.
Someone could have gone to a florist and bought me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.
No bouquet could have been more beautiful that the small sandwich bag I received.
Inside that plastic bag was a gift, simply because my granddaughter thought of me.
I was considered, and the love of a little girl wanted to give me a gift.
My exhaustion and weariness from the long ten hour trip melted away.
I enveloped her in my arms and breathed deep the sweet gift of love that was given to me.
May I give such a gift to another.
May I give such a gift to my Lord and Savior.
Beautiful story! We can learn so much from these little ones! I remember several years ago when my great-grandson Nicco was taken shopping to pick out some toys and he said “I really don’t need any new toys; there are other kids who need them more!” I’ve never forgotten this.
Sue,
How precious! I love the innocence of children! I think it is our job to preserve their innocence for as long as we can.
Gina