Transitory Gifts

     "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation of shadow due to change." (James 1:17)
     Thank You Father for life's simplest, freest gifts.  They are all treasures from Your hand.  As I see how quickly life changes in this wild adventure of life--children growing up and leaving home all too quickly, parents growing older or going home to be with the Lord, heroes of yesterday come and gone, fortunes won and lost, vibrant memories slowly fading--I'm so thankful that You do not change.  Lord. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
     So gracious Gift-Giver, I thank You for who You are and what You have done.
     Some of Your gifts are transitory--they must be savored right now...or we miss the opportunity.
     Just a few simple, but passing, gifts for which I give You praise this day--

Red, white, and blue butter bagels--a reminder of this great nation...and of our boys who loved eating every morsel!  O, and thank You, Lord, for bagels and whatever genius came up with the idea of round, chewy, satisfying morsels of bread.  Yum, the gift that keeps on giving!

Peter's cucumber plant.  Who knew we could actually grow something that would produce such an abundant harvest?  Wow!  We may have a brown thumb at our house, but the Lord has more than made up for it!   Cucumbers galore--another gift.

 A fierce Monopoly game--even if I always seem to land on one of the boys' properties with houses on it and get wiped out.  sigh.  Even now the debris from last night's game (to be continued tonight) lies strewn about the den floor.  I'm refusing the urge to fret and fuss, for I know these days will be over all too quickly.  Someday in the not too distant future, our floor will be spotless, the Monopoly pieces will all be snuggly within the box on the shelf...and I will long for this day of messy floors and Monopoly money floating under the sofa.  So thank You, Lord, for this gift.

What can I say?  Sweet old Moses relaxing...and depositing copious amounts of black hair all over the bottom half of the chair.  Again, someday I will find a bit of that hair under a seat cushion and will smile at the memory...and shed a tear at God's goodness in giving us this fine, fine dog.  So we'll take the shedding for the pure joy of having Moses in our lives.
     Just a few simple transitory gifts from the Father's hand.  Lord, You never change or fade or decrease or run low...but Your gifts are to be appreciated and savored now, right now.  You last forever...but many of Your gifts do not.  Lord, keep our eyes open to see, and our hearts soft and grateful for each treasure from You, our Father of lights.  To God be the glory.