Unexpected Gifts

Grown men carrying flowers through grocery stores always make me smile. No matter their age, they remind me of little boys with a handful of dandelions for a loved mom. Around the holidays you see more of them. Today isn’t any different. There is a middle-aged man (shall we say comfortably dressed) with his arm extended as far as it will reach, grasping the flowers as if to communicate to an onlooker that these are for someone else.

I pause to watch. What a sweet moment.

As I continue through the store, I hear conversations of anticipated family Thanksgiving dinners and casual disputes on how many potatoes to buy. An older grandma grabs another bag while her daughter pleads, “That’s too much.”

I pause to watch. What a sweet moment.

Rounding the corner, I see a team of employees wrestling with a display of all kinds of holiday favorites: cans of pumpkin, evaporated milk, pecans, karo syrup, and spices. These displays are a gift to infrequent shoppers who wonder if pumpkin is with the vegetables, fruit, or of all places in the baking section.

I pause to watch. Another sweet moment.

Memories drift through my mind. I’m reminded of the first Thanksgiving after my husband, Keith, passed. When I anticipated the upcoming Christmas holiday, I wondered if it was possible that I might not receive gifts—my gift giver was gone.

I decided to watch for gifts that the Lord placed in my pathway. A sunset. A parking place at just the right time. A phone call from a dear friend. It was as if a veil had been lifted and the ordinary blessings I had become accustomed to were now on display. When my focus shifted to looking for God’s gifts all around me, I felt joy instead of loss.

Later that year, just a day or two before Christmas, I stumbled on a Christmas card that Keith must have purchased the year before but had forgotten to give to me. On the simple red and green card, the words said, To My Wife at Christmas. I soaked in the moment of an ordinary card which now meant more than you can imagine.

This Thanksgiving as you gather with friends or family or even if you find yourself alone, enjoy the day watching for the gifts all around you and give thanks.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV).