grace given me

Who doesn’t love a good Easter egg hunt? My dad and stepmom have become family-famous for their epic production. They hide the eggs throughout the backyard. The grandkids search and pile found eggs into their baskets. Once all of the eggs have been found (or at least most have been found; just last month my dad’s gardener brought him an egg from last year’s hunt – good thing we use the plastic ones), the eggs are traded in for dollar bills and the fun begins. My dad has an assortment of goodies that are then auctioned off to the highest bidders, using their ‘egg dollars.’ It is quite entertaining with my dad trying to surprise the kids with the items he presents, and the kids trying to outfox each other to get the best prizes. Though he provides the eggs, the dollar bills and the prizes, I believe my dad delights in it all the most. Much of the attention is on the kids, the eggs, the dollars, the loot. But my eyes are on my dad. I love watching the giver, reaping a harvest of joy.

Because we just celebrated Easter, I could not help reflecting on the ultimate Giver and what Jesus willingly and graciously gave to us. It is the greatest love story ever told. Because God who is holy and perfect, loves us so much and never wants to be separated from us, he gave his one and only son to die for our imperfections. When we accept that Jesus did that on our behalf, we are accepted as adopted sons and daughters, forever. We are his harvest of joy. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

But it is not just salvation that the Giver offers. As Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Just as my dad placed all of those eggs throughout his backyard, I have come to recognize God placing so many things in my life to discover and appreciate as treasure. For so long I lived life not with intention, but rather with entitlement. I was a taker. And I took things for granted. How often do we give thanks for the good things in our lives? Good health? Good friends? Good family? Good jobs? Good security and safety? A good place to live? A good God? Yet numerous studies conclude that practicing gratitude has many positive benefits. Renowned Psychology Professor Robert Emmons’ found that people who kept gratitude journals felt 25% happier and reported fewer health complaints. The Journal of Psychosomatic Research showed a direct correlation between gratitude and better sleep quality, reduced blood pressure, and improved heart health. Brother David Steindl-Rast said, “It is not happiness that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy.” 

When we take our eyes off of the Giver and his gifts, we bring our view down to ourselves and our problems. We stop practicing gratitude and then where do our thoughts frequently go? We swirl. We hold pity parties. Our dominating thoughts become consumed by our fears. I heard someone recently warn that our fears become our idols. As we think about a fear, we start to orient around the fear. Our inner and outer monologue focus on the fear. We start spreading fear. We skew our time to prepare for the fear. We are slowly being seduced to come into agreement with the fear. As we dance with it, we find ourselves shrinking back, closing off, isolating, self-preserving. We move into a defensive posture. Essentially when fears take over our lives, controlling our thoughts and actions, they can become something we rely on or put before God, effectively replacing him with the thing we fear. But 2 Timothy 1:7 states, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

We must search and boldly place the spirit of power, love and a renewed mind in Christ into our proverbial Easter basket. If you want to fear something, fear God and put him in his rightful place. As we begin to replace our fears with gratitude and trust in the Giver of all good things, we start to re-orient. We position to take hold of his promises. We think about the gifts we have been given, and will be given, and our conversations tick up in hope. We start preparing for good things. We begin spreading optimism. We come into agreement with the Giver and his good plans. We step forward, we reach out, we see light.

Lord, during this glorious Easter season, I thank you for the ultimate gift. And for every good and perfect gift from above. Because you are a good father, you long to give us not only eternal life but life in abundance now, life in the fullest. I pray that you will bring to our conscious minds all the things we have to be grateful for. As we meditate on your provisions and your promises we enjoy the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Thank you for your gracious generosity. Let gratitude permeate our lives so we can spread hope. Amen.