How to Rejoice in Unexpected Gifts
Two years ago, my nearly-three-year-old son Eli had a very specific Christmas list:
- A door
- Some steps
- A hardware store
- Toast
- Rocks
Even when the Santa Claus at the mall asked Eli what he wanted for Christmas, this is exactly the list he rattled off. (Needless to say, Santa was both confused and delighted by these requests.)
Now, who am I to deny a toddler his deepest desires for Christmas? The rocks were an easy find on Amazon, as was a toy toolbox for his “hardware store” and, after much searching, a tiny set of steps intended for a hamster. I picked up a wooden plaque at our local craft store and painted it to look like our front door. We took care of the toast by having that as breakfast on Christmas morning.
Eli literally got everything on his list. Even so, the highlight of his presents was a bunch of toilet paper rolls my sister had saved for him and wrapped up. Those were tunnels, binoculars, telescopes, megaphones, instruments, bowling pins… The world was his oyster with those cardboard cylinders. We couldn’t get him to finish opening the rest of his presents after the toilet paper rolls made their appearance.
Last year for Christmas, Eli wanted an Octopod from the Octonauts show more than anything. My parents bought it for him, and he was thrilled beyond belief. Even now he spends a lot of time playing with all of his Octonaut friends. But the highlight of the holiday was a plush colossal squid I picked out for him, which has gone nearly everywhere with us since. It was one of those things I saw in passing while looking for something else. I immediately thought, “Eli must have this.” He loves squids in general; now he loves that squid in particular.
At both Christmases, if Eli hadn’t gotten what he had asked for, I think he still would have been content with what he had been given. The highlight each year was something he wasn’t even aware he wanted, something that was chosen specifically for him by people who know and love him. He both rejoiced about and enjoyed the unexpected gifts far more than the gifts he requested.
Are we, as Christians, grateful for lovely surprises from God, even if we don’t get the things we expected? Can we still intentionally recognize “good and perfect gifts” (James 1:17) in the midst of our excitement when we do receive that for which we asked? I know that I find myself asking God in prayer for very specific things–for a friend to be healed, a pregnancy to occur, a political issue to resolve, even (and embarrassingly) a parking spot close to the store–and I am perpetually upset when I do not receive the answers I want. On the other hand, I know I often miss or gloss over God’s greater gifts, like daily provision and new mercies, in my elation over specific prayers that are answered.
We may forget to be grateful for God’s gifts because we are overwhelmed, unobservant, or distracted. Particularly at this time of the year, as we settle into the quiet of winter, our lives can get in the way of true living. May we remember to rejoice in the beauty that is God with us and in us. May we offer our gratitude for each and every thing God chooses specifically for us because he loves us, even and especially when it looks like something we couldn’t have imagined.
Bethany Beams is a certified doula who can’t get enough of storytelling, which she pursues through website design, photography, and freelance editing. Her many loves include her husband and son, napping, libraries, ice cream, singing, snow leopards, Bagel Bites, 75° weather, and lists. She blogs very occasionally at bethanybeams.com.
Photograph © Bethany Beams, used with permission
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