Every Perfect Gift
As I listened to my daughter’s beautiful, emotive voice sing her last song as Mary Poppins, a tear ran down my cheek as I listened to her words,
“With every task when it’s complete, there is a sense of bittersweet, that moment when you know the job is done. Though in your heart you’d like to stay, to help things on their way, you always know, they must do it alone.”
It’s her last musical of her high school career, and I realized God had truly given me a gift with this girl of mine loving musical theater.
Because this mommy grew up dancing and singing in the sunroom, pretending it was a stage, singing all the best old musicals. My favorites were Sound of Music, Oklahoma, and Mary Poppins.
And guess what productions my girl and I have gotten to be in together? The first two…
We were in Sound of Music and Oklahoma together with community theater years ago. Then I decided she could keep going, and I’d retire to pursue other things (like own a store).
And she has gone on to do a lot more shows, and kept learning how to sing, dance, and act. Her performance of Mary Poppins was “practically perfect in every way”.
And I realized that God had given me a desire of my heart. Having her live out my love of musicals. One of my loves has become one of hers. Having her be a part of my favorite three musicals, that I know front and back. Even being the spitting image of Julie Andrews, holding her black umbrella, with her rosy cheeks.
Because God is like that. He desires to lavish us with good things. He remembers a simple little desire, a thought we had when we were young, and he loves to see that dream come to fruition.
Steve Green sang a song years ago that’s been ringing in my head this Thanksgiving season,
” Every perfect gift comes from above
From the Father of lights
From the Lord of love
This joy that I have that I’m singing of
Is from the Lord”
“That’s where the joy comes from
That’s where the joy comes from”
Because every good gift does come from God. And because He knows us so well, he can shower us with little gifts from the desires He knows are tucked down inside our memories.
Like the fact that I always wanted a porch swing hanging from a country farmhouse overhang, like some childhood friends had.
He knew it was tucked in my memories. And he made it happen.
Or the fact that every birthday and every Christmas, the top of my list said “puppy”. But for some reason, my parents just couldn’t get themselves to jump into the dog thing.
But He did. He gifted me with an adorable, live, stuffed animal that has loved on our family for years. And every time I vacuum up the fur balls, I am thankful for this little wish come true.
Psalm 20: 4, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”
Psalm 21: 2, “You have granted him the desires of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.”
So this Thanksgiving, when you’re counting your blessings and saying your thanks, definitely be thankful for the big things…family, homes, freedom, faith, but dig back in your memory. Try to find some of those little desires that are hidden in your years that God has so wonderfully lavished upon you. Little, simple things can speak loudly about how greatly He loves.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
{Read some Memorable Christmas Gifts, Here}