Today, I received gifts...did I unwrap?

Over the past few weeks, I've been practicing receiving gifts.

I know this may sound weird.

I'm really good at accepting at times demanding or planting hints or throwing things into my parents' cart or even sometimes I get bold and just put it in their hands  gifts from my parents not always from others.  Don't worry. I know to say thank you and write thank you notes. I'm not that off base.

But, lately I've been learning that as much joy that I find in giving others find when giving to me. I must honor this so that world continues to revolve.

By 8:30 AM, I had received 2 tangible gifts. A student had asked her mom to make me a piece of cinnamon toast bread 'because Ms. R you just gotta try this stuff' and a great lady I worked out with at the gym dropped some awesome homemade goodies off at school as a surprise.

I had a late night tonight. I got home to a package of more homemade goodies on my doorstep.

Yes, it may be easier to receive when it's food. But, still someone had the thought and follow through to give it to me.

Appreciated. I unwrapped them (ok, maybe not the cinnamon toast). I shared the tin of cookies at the end of lacrosse conditioning with high schoolers as we waited for their parents. The joy and spunk as they sprinted to my car to get them was hilarious. I don't think I've seen some of them run that fast.

I started thinking of the parallel of this during this season of advent while we wait for the birth of Jesus.

Moral of the Story: God gave us a gift. The gift was Jesus. The choice remains about whether you accept the gift. Whether you unwrap the gift. Whether you appreciate the gift. And, whether you share it.