More from Nancy Nye Spasic

When writing today’s The Upper Room devotional entitled “Freely Given,” it was not an easy decision of whether to focus on receiving a gift or rather to concentrate on the giving of a gift. Should I emphasize the attitude of the giver or the recipient? The Bible speaks often of both.

When receiving the gift from these children I spoke of in the devotional, I realize that I’d almost lost the opportunity of getting that free present from God. My rush to dismiss the interruption came close to turning me into an ungrateful recipient. How thankful I am that God’s timing and grace helped me receive these young children’s card with sincere appreciation. That was long ago, though. I have to wonder how many blessings I’ve missed out on in my lifetime—times of pushing through exhaustion while raising a family without enough work hours (nor rest hours) in the day; times of confusion, sadness, or grief. How many opportunities to receive similar blessings from God passed by me? Too many, I’m afraid. Perhaps you can relate. Isn’t it wonderful that do-overs are included in God’s word? Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come.”

Then on the other hand, while writing I wondered if I should focus more on the givers, the three children who had showed up at my doorstep.
In looking back at the day these children knocked at my door, I had wondered who had effectively instilled in them this desire to randomly go door-to-door and hand out Christian greeting cards. Had it been a parent or grandparent, a relative, or perhaps a Sunday school teacher who had taken the time to teach these children the importance of giving to others?

I’ll never know, but in just a couple of minutes, three boldly exuberant children had reminded me how to give. They were on a mission! That day, they had stood at my door unembarrassed and full of joy. They didn’t try to convince me. They didn’t want money or wait around for a thank you. They had simply delivered a surprise gift of a greeting card, providing me with a blessed memory. They had delivered it exactly as God says for us to do. Freely and cheerfully (see 2 Corinthians 9:7).

In my dilemma of who’s side of gift-giving I should focus on, the giver or the recipient, both won out. We need God, the giver of blessings, and God needs our gracious acceptance of his gifts.

God holds many nice things in waiting, doesn’t he? I value knowing that those freely given presents are waiting for those of us who are ready to receive. Head to the door and see who’s knocking.