The gift of everything

This morning, in a men's group I'm part of, we worked through a chapter of C.S. Lewis' book "The Screwtape Letters."  It was a profound and yet simple idea of how we claim ownership of so much...my time, my car, my house, my job, my wife....and on the list goes.  "Mine!" is probably the most used word in our language as we lay claim to portions of creation.

And yet, as we talked about it, I suddenly realized that nothing is mine!  Everything, literally everything is a gift from the hand of God...my life, my day, my time, my talents, my job, my house....everything comes from him.  Everything belongs to him because he made it all....including me!

When I change the descriptive word "mine" to "his" it changes how I view the things I think are mine to own, to control, to be angry about if lost.  So much of my life is fretting over "mine."

I know this stuff.  Perhaps you do as well. But once more I am made aware that everything, literally everything is a gift from God's wonderful gracious hand.

It creates amazing opportunities to give thanks that I ignored before, when it was "mine."  Now, because it's really his, given as a gift for my use, my time is now free to give away because it's really his time and he can use it as he wishes.  And when I have a moment to sit and think, to rest and relax, I can thank him for that sweet gift.

When I wake up to a new day I can thank him for the gift of the day ahead, the moments to enjoy more of his gracious hand.  When I drive "my" car to work I thank him for the gift of transportation.  But you might say, "but didn't you pay for the car yourself?"  And I have to smile when I tell you, "yes, and who gave me the job and the money to pay for the car?"

Everything is a gift from God's gracious hand.  As you go through your day take moments and thank him for letting you have and use his things, his good blessing, his flowers, his air, his sunshine. Everything is a gift from God.

Being a recipient of the gift of everything takes "mine" out of my vocabulary and actually gives me a freedom I didn't realize I could have.  If it's all his I can open my hands, share his things with others and enjoy the next moment when his grace gives me more to enjoy.

How wonderful to be a recipient of the gift of everything!