Before me rests a package, a gift.
The tag clearly reads my name,
But what a gift:
Wrapped in sandpaper,
Encrusted with glittering bits of broken glass,
Bound carefully with a bow of thorns and brambles.
Who wants to open such a gift?
Yet the tag reads just as clearly,
“From your heavenly Father.”
He is good;
He does good.
Will I trust Him enough to accept the abrasions, the lacerations,
The wounds this gift will cost?
Or will I refuse, rebel, reject?
Trust Me, He says.
The treasure is worth the pain,
More than worth it.
The momentary, light affliction
Of opening your gift
Is opening to you an eternal weight of glory
As far beyond comparison with the pain
As hyperbole times hyperbole.
Knowing Christ in the power of His resurrection
Means communing with Him in suffering,
Yet the knowledge gained surpasses the preciousness
Of a thousand-carat diamond,
A hundred-pound pearl.
He took the sharpest thorns,
The roughest edges,
The bloodiest brambles.
Will I trust Him by receiving His gift?
If there’s any other way to claim the treasure, Lord,
Rewrap it in soft leather,
In satin ribbon.
Yet—
If not,
Thy will be done.
Opportunities for Encouragement:
~In partnership with The Voice of the Martyrs, Keith and Kristyn Getty and friends are streaming their Irish Christmas concert for free tonight, with replay available through December 31. Their music means the world to my family. It brought many hours of joy to my mother’s last days. To sign up to watch (and download the free songbook), click here:
https://www.gettymusic.com/live
~If you live with chronic illness and/or disability and need accessible, free Christian encouragement, you might be interested in the Diamonds Conference in January 2025. It may be the only conference produced by and for people with chronic illness. It is free to watch live, with paid All-Access passes available for asynchronous or repeated viewing. To learn more and sign up, visit this link:
https://confirmsubscription.com/h/y/1FFD38F7CA8C1F78
The Diamonds community also has a Discord for chat and ongoing prayer and fellowship outside of the conference. You can access that here:
https://discord.com/invite/DWsRWE98Sr
