Unexpected Love Gifts From the Lord

I love it when the Lord blesses me with an unexpected love gift.  The Lord has already given me more than enough.  He has shown His love for me by laying down His life for me.  He has saved me from my sins and made me His child.  He also daily cares for me and provides for my needs.  Yet He also from time to time "wows" me with an unexpected love gift.  He does that for you as well, if you are a child of God.  Do you and I recognize and appreciate the unexpected love gifts the Lord gives us?

I think He especially loves to give us these love gifts during or around a time of difficulty or trial in our lives.  For me personally, I like to think of these gifts as love gifts from my Heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus.  I no longer have an earthly husband, but Jesus has proven Himself a wonderful Heavenly Husband by His faithful love to me.

Let me give you a few examples of times when I have experienced the Lord's special love gifts to me.   I experienced one of them a few months before my husband's death.  On this occasion it was my birthday in August of 2010.  Family were in my home.  My son called me outside to look at the rainbow in the sky.  It was the most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen.  It was to me a love gift that day reminding me of my Lord's love for me and of His faithfulness.  As my husband's caregiver, the next few months were very difficult, as my husband's body continued to decline.  My husband passed away in early January of 2011.  Yet God was faithful through all those care-giving days, and He has been faithful since in my life as a widow. That day in August He gave me that rainbow as a symbol of His love for me and His promise to always be faithful.

I remember another time when I looked out the window and saw a perfect cross in the beautiful sunrise.  It only lasted a brief period of time.  Yet I saw it, and it felt like a love gift from my Lord.  Another time a granddaughter found an old postcard from my Dad behind a register in the house where they were presently living and in which I had lived in the past.  The postcard had been written many years before and lost to me for many years until my granddaughter found it.  It was presented to me on or around what would have been my Dad's birthday and at a time when I really could use encouragement.  It had been written many years before when my Dad was in the hospital, and I was especially blessed by one of the last sentences.  That sentence said, "There are days I feel a little blue, but there is one Almighty above who loves and cares."  Was that postcard from my Dad a special love gift from the Lord when I needed it?  I think so. 

This past several months I have experienced the love gifts of ministering hands due to the back pain flare-up I experienced starting in November.  Since then I have experienced pain/tightness to one degree or another in my neck, shoulder, leg , and back.  Yet God has provided people to slowly help relieve and heal these issues.

Let me share one other example which just happened to me within the last few days.  A friend and I were planning to make a 500 mile trip leaving next week-end, so I could attend my granddaughter's high school graduation..  Because of an issue which came up in her life, my friend canceled on me a few nights ago.  I did not feel I could make the trip alone especially with my back issues.  So that night I lay in bed unable to sleep going over all possible scenarios to be able to get to my granddaughter's graduation.  The next day God provided a ride for me from a gracious and loving couple.  Not only that, but this woman hugged me and prayed over me.  She said any other week-end it would not have worked for them to take me because of the busyness of their business, but this particular week-end they were travelling to that area anyhow.  Once again the Lord provided a wonderful love gift to me.

The Lord is always providing love gifts.  Yet we need to have our eyes open to see them.  We need to not just talk about God, but we must sense His presence and see His working in our lives.  What love gifts is the Lord placing in your path?  It could be a lovely flower, a beautiful sunrise, or an unexpected kindness from someone.  It is so easy to get caught up in the hardships of life, but let's not forget to look for His special love gifts to us.


(PS I plan to be away from my computer next week-end; so the next post will be on or around May 27th, Lord willing.  Use this as a time to reread some of my earlier posts.)