Loving the Gift-Giver

Welcome, friends! For starters, here is the back story of “My Red Bag.”

In 2014 I attended a writers workshop in Dayton, OH. This bag was given to all participants at check-in, and it was handy for holding session materials and the books and memorabilia we were sure to purchase. That conference inspired and challenged me, both as a humorist and as a devotional writer. Surprisingly, in 2015 the Red Bag became so much more.

2015 was the year my first grandchild was born; and by the time the second grandchild arrived in 2017, the Red Bag was already established as the carry-all of choice. At the time I lived in Aiken, SC, and the grands lived in Savannah, Georgia. It was the perfect travel tote for toys, games, and favorite snacks. It became known as “LoLo’s Red Bag,” and the boys would run for it every time I pulled up to their house.

Once I teasingly asked them if they only loved me for my goodies. At ages three and five, they had no idea what I meant and just proceeded to devour the bag. That was the incident that inspired the content of my devotion. I wondered how many times I’d been thrilled and amazed at what God had given me . . . but had not praised God enough in “ordinary times” for his character and greatness.

The boys are now eight and ten years old and are well able to understand the question about whether they love me for “me” and or just for the goodies I bring. So when they spent the night this week, we reenacted the scene as it might play today and filmed it. They had a blast doing it, and I think they now understand the difference between loving the gift-giver and loving the gifts.

Because God gives such good gifts, however, it is still challenging for me to separate what God does from who God is, so I’m reminding myself again to pray, “Holy Father, you are so generous with blessings, help, counsel, and countless answered prayers. Please help me love you so completely that even when I’m going through a season of discouragement or unanswered prayer, I will love you just as passionately. At the same time help me to trust that my desert seasons are for my good and your glory. For yours is the only name worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. In Jesus’ name, amen.”