My Best Gift Ever

I was looking through my jewelry box the other day. Lifting up some little boxes, I came upon two lariat type necklaces. One was silver with clear glass gems and the other identical except for pink gems. Just looking at those two necklaces brought back memories. They had been a gift from my son, when he was about 5 years old. I will never forget his words as I unwrapped the gift he had so carefully purchased for me. Under all of the bright colored tissue, I found the two necklaces, each with more than half of the gems missing. Christopher's eyes were bright with excitement as he said, "Mom, I found these two necklaces and they were so beautiful. Look, Mom, look look..they have real diamonds. I know they are real because someone already stole half the diamonds. I thought they were so beautiful that I bought you two!" In my heart I chuckled at his little boy happiness and how sweet it was that he thought he had bought me real diamonds. They have always been one of my most precious gifts, not because they have real diamonds (of course they are only glass), but because my little boy said they were real. Marie-Louise did a similar thing when she was about seven. Across the street there was a yard sale that she went to with one of her little friends. Coming back from her shopping adventure she said, "Mom, I got you this.". In her hand was a chipped piece of decorative glass missing an obvious top piece. "Mom, look how beautiful this crystal is, I just knew you would love it. Happy Birthday!" Of course I wore my necklaces a few times and for a while, that piece of broken glass sat on a shelf in my kitchen window. I have saved them both. Not because they have any monetary value, but because they are among my most precious possessions. Both having much more value to me than to anyone else in the world. Thinking about those little gifts, I'm reminded of the gift of Salvation that Jesus gave to us. Being the most valuable and costly gift ever, he sold everything to give this gift to us. And what did we give him in return? We gave him ourselves, broken, chipped, worn out, and missing pieces. Gladly he took our gift and wearing us like a precious gem around his neck, he has taken upon himself our brokenness, our failures, our hurts and pain. Never once has he said our gift isn't good enough. Never once has he rejected our gift. Looking at our lives, he sees the missing diamonds, and broken crystal, and says, "Look, the Devil has stolen some of your diamonds. Your crystal is cracked a broken. Come, let me replace your diamonds and mend your cracks.". Fixing us up, he then declares the we are his most precious possession. I can just imagine what it is like, as he polishes us up and shows us to his Father. "Look, Father, at what I have brought you. See how beautiful these are? I found this one and she was missing diamonds,you see. The devil had stolen them. I took her and replaced the stolen gems. See how beautiful she is? And this one, see what a beautiful piece of crystal he is? Isn't he just amazing? When I got him he was cracked and broken but I have mended him. Just look at the way the light makes him sparkle.". Then, because Jesus said we were of great value, the Father accepts us and puts us in a place of prominence, seated with Him. I have treasured my gifts from my children because they came from their hands. The missing parts and broken pieces only made them more dear and special. My friend, we all come to Jesus, broken and missing pieces. But He doesn't care. Coming to Him broken and lost, only makes us more dear to Him. He doesn't see what is missing, He just finds pleasure in who we are in Him He treasures us and likes to show us off to His Father. He treasures us. He treasures YOU! So when the devil tries to remind you of your worthlessness just remember who you belong to. Just remember where you are seated. Just remember what Jesus says about you. With excitement in His voice and a twinkle in His eyes, He comes to the Father and says, "Look what I brought to you Father." Just remember that twinkle in Jesus' eyes is for YOU! Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you are saved! -and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,