Once upon a time there was a rose. The rose was given life and then love, and having bloomed it was given to a beautiful woman. It was the first rose she’d ever received, the first flower, in fact, and so once it had sat for a while, she dried it out and kept it in a safe place. A year and a bit later, the rose was given again, this time to the girl’s fiancé. On the day of their wedding, he wore the rose he’d once bought, as a symbol of the love they’d shared thus far.
After almost five years of marriage, we’ve finally received our wedding video! It was a tremendous gift and one we’d thought had been long lost. Seeing the rose again, sitting on the lapel of my suit jacket, brought tears to my eyes. The rose has since been broken, but the memory lives on.
In the time since, we’ve given and received so many more gifts, and like the rose, many of them have died or been lost, but we don’t worry at the loss of each subsequent gift. The gifts each derive their value primarily from the intent and the love of the gift-giver, and just reminders of that love.
Both Lara and Rob remind us this week to be reminded of God’s love through his gifts. Sometimes those gifts, like the rose, are just for a season, and some are for life, but regardless, they shouldn’t point us primarily towards themselves, but towards the gift-giver.
What gifts has God given you this week that you can be thankful for?
Grace and Peace,
Adsum Try Ravenhill is married to Anna and together they are passionate about seeing young men and women discipled within the context of the local church. You can find Adsum through his writing at The Raven’s Writing Desk and you can also find Adsum’s articles for GCD here.
Last Week at GCDiscipleship.com
How To Love Our Friends in Truth—Even When It Stings
by Lara D’entremont
“How does our love grow? It grows in knowledge and discernment, which can only be produced from Scripture. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God””
When Bible Reading Becomes a Struggle
by Rob Bentz
“In a 2021 study, Lifeway Research found that 85% of all American households have a Bible, and the average American home has 4.3 Bibles. Accessibility to the Word of God is not the problem. The masses no longer read the Bibles they own. Why? Reasons for this lack of Bible engagement are many. Perhaps life is just too busy. Or it’s difficult to know where to start, and even once reading has begun the Bible can be hard to understand. And certainly it can be hard to stay focused. Reading, engaging, and meditating on the Word are today’s issues.”