The Gift of His Will

I love this time of year, the lights, the trees, the candy, and the gifts. I love the anticipation, the excitement, and the wonder that it brings. As I was preparing and planning for the surprises that we will bless our children with this year, I was overwhelmed with the thought of the real gift of Christmas, specifically the gift of God’s will in our lives.

The best part as I coordinate and plan blessings for my kids is watching their anticipation. They know that I only have their best interest in mind and that if I am working on something especially for them, it has to be great. They stay closer to me (whether I’m on the phone or on the computer), so as not to miss a single clue of what’s to come. They dialog with me, asking me over and over for some sort of hint about what I am planning. They are so excited and it brings me such joy in watching them anticipate the gift I have laid out for them.

I couldn’t help but think of our Heavenly Father and the incredible plan He has for each of our lives. For us, it often seems a little unclear and we can’t quite make out what He is doing, but I wonder if from his perspective, as our Daddy, if He isn’t absolutely delighted as He unfolds His plan for each of us, one detail at a time.

As we reflect back over the last year of our lives, I am sure we can all see the clues that He has uncovered for us as it relates to His will for our individual lives. He has a plan, and it’s so much bigger than we could imagine. Through the passage of following His will, my most profound joy comes through the intimate dialog with Him and the intimate fellowship that He draws me to. I echo Paul when he writes in Romans 6:22b, “I have discovered the delight of listening to God telling me what to do, what a surprise!” I don’t want to miss one single detail that He has for me. I can’t help but think that He loves the focus that the anticipation of His will brings in our lives. I believe He wants us to be hopeful as we wait for the revelation of His will just as my kids look forward to the surprises we plan for them. We know He has our best interest at heart. We know that no matter how hard the journey or how unclear the road ahead may be, He has a plan for us (Jer.29:11) and ultimately He has a place prepared for us on the other side of eternity (John 14:2-3). I believe it brings Him great delight when we follow Him wherever He leads, and we do it, not with anxiety, fear, or even dread, but with joy and hopeful anticipation, because we deeply trust that He, as our Heavenly Father, has an amazing plan for us, one that is far better than anything we could do on our own.

As we step back and look at our tree with presents beginning to lay underneath, we are reminded of the many gifts God has entrusted to us this year and the many that He still has waiting for us in 2008. Some of the gifts that He has given are not exactly what we would have chosen or even knew we needed, but they have each one proven to be the “unspeakable riches of His grace” in our lives and we are deeply grateful. We should praise God that we cannot “round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives” (Rom. 5:5), and, unlike some of the gifts we will purchase this year we should rejoice that “His gifts are under full warranty – never canceled, never rescinded!” (Rom. 11:29)

Lord, thank you for the gifts of Your will that you have already unwrapped for us and the encouragement that comes with the anticipation of all that you still have in store for each of us and our families. May we all follow You in 2008 even closer and may we talk to You even more, in order to experience the joy of Your fellowship with us and so we will not miss even one tiny detail that You have planned for us!

In Him ~
Tammy...

You can read more from Tammy by visiting her at Steps in Our Journey