GiftsRemembered

On this Christmas I am mindful of many of the special gifts I have received over the years.  They have come in two varieties: tangible and intangible.  Here are some of the most memorable…

Tangible

-First bike

-Pong

-First shotgun

-Electric racecar set

-Bible

-First pocketknife

Intangible

-Support

-Encouragement

-Guidance

-Attention

-Discipline (as needed)

-Appreciation for work

-Respectfulness

-Life

-Love (undying, unconditional, unwavering)

“And the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:13)

The benefactors were many and varied.  Notables are my parents (Grady and Dian), both sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers (and their families), Moe (my lovely bride and her family), Summer and McKenzie (our daughters and their families and their families), trusted friends innumerable (and being added daily).  I consider each of these an agent of my Creator (whether they knew it or not).

The intangibles were wrapped not in paper and ribbon, but with care and persistence and unwavering consistency.  They were not delivered on one special day, but on every day, in many ways, interwoven, overlapped, embedded, and irrevocably.

Both kinds of gifts, the tangible and the intangible, rest heavily in my memory this Christmas, the season we most associate with giving.

As I reflect on both versions of gifts mentioned above, it’s the intangible ones that shaped and sustained me…

and do still. 

Merry Christmas!