God Gave His Best

Memory Verse:
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 [The Living Bible]

Did you ever receive a gift even better than you ever expected: something you really wanted but didn’t think was possible so you just never thought of asking for it?

A friend told me of such a gift. It happened years ago before you could readily buy special baseball equipment. Even if it was available, it wasn’t always affordable. Now, this boy’s family had very limited income and could only afford the necessary things of life.

My friend was a great baseball player but he had a handicap. He was left-handed and at that time only right-handed baseball gloves were available. He knew he would play a lot better if he had a left handed glove,

His team mates had acquired a new kind of baseball shoes with cleats. He really wanted a pair but he also knew his parents had other things to buy. Yet, for Christmas he dared to ask them for a pair.

Anxiously he waited for Christmas Eve. After the Christmas Eve service his family gathered around the Christmas tree. My friend noticed that the gift wrapped box in the corner did not seem to be the size for a pair of baseball shoes. But he kept hoping anyway.

Then the moment arrived. As his mom handed him the gift, my friend’s father winked at him. His mom couldn’t stop smiling. Now my friend was very hopeful.

Not being able to wait a second longer, he whipped the glossy wrapping paper off. He stopped. The box did not seem heavy enough for baseball shoes with cleats. He decided that whatever he found in the box he would be grateful and smile at them and graciously say thank you. He knew that whatever it was his parents had sacrificed some of their own needs.

He lifted the lid and pulled at the paper covering the gift. For a moment he just sat there, spellbound. He couldn’t believe his eyes but there on his lap lay a southpaw baseball glove. His whole body began to shake as he tried on the left handed glove. Of course, it fit perfectly.

Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would get such a glove. When he learned that his parents had scrimped and saved and searched for a company to make such a glove and then sent away for it because they knew how much it would mean to him, he jumped up and down, shouting with joy.

We all have many needs. We bombard God to please give us this and to please give us that. And we are very grateful when he gives us spiritual blessings plus material blessings. But sometimes we neglect the best gift He gave us, Jesus.

Jesus is God’s only Son. He loved Him more than anything but He also loved us. He knew that if He didn’t make a way for us to be cleansed from sin we could never know Him. The only way possible was through Jesus.

Jesus became man but was also God. He was sinless and so was able to die for our sins so we can have a relationship with God. When Jesus was born of Mary, God gave us His very best.

Ruth Willms

Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com

Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com

Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik’s Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com