FOOD
FOR THOUGHT
(01/04/2009)
THE
GIFT Cindy
Hong
When
I was 9 years old, Mom said she needed a new pan. To surprise her, I bought
a Teflon pan, wrapped it, and gave it to her. The chemist in her said
Teflon causes cancer, so the mom in her wouldn't use it on us. She returned
the pan and put the money toward a new one. But it already laid the groundwork
for our future gift giving. We exchange checks on birthdays and Christmas
so the other can get what they want. It satisfies the norm of gift-giving,
and yet it's safe, requiring little thought. I wish I could just buy a
Teflon pan today and give it to God. It's concrete and doable, fulfilling
my duty of giving cheerfully. I also wish writing a check is enough. Unfortunately,
it's not that easy. He gave us His all from the very beginning. It's going
to require the rest of my life to give Him bits of what He so deserves
from me. But He doesn't want concrete gifts like a car or condo. He wants
substantial stuff. Like our dreams, hopes, fears, and trust. He wants
nothing short of our life. On the church calendar, we are coming to the
end of a major season that began with Advent and brought us through Christmas.
On January 6, 12 days after Christmas, the universal church celebrates
Epiphany. This is when the wise men came face to face with the Anointed
One, not just baby Jesus but Christ the Lord. What possessed these magi
to not only travel many miles with a star as their compass, but also bring
their best gifts to Him? A journey of faith, that's for sure. We know
the familiar verse that God loved the world so much that He gave. Well,
in return, the wise men came, opened their treasures, and presented him
with gifts. On Epiphany (“appearance” or “manifestation”) we celebrate
the gift of God's glory appearing to us. Can our gift in return be anything
less than a blank check to Him, giving our all to the One who gave us
His all? Such living will surely manifest Christ in and through us. It's
costly, it may hurt, but the good news is it doesn't cause cancer.
|
