$5.00 Posters

Lying around the child were gifts of all shapes, sizes, and values. It had been a good Christmas, one where she received almost all she asked for and a few surprises as well. There was a painting done just for her, an ancestor’s earring made into a regal necklace, and a jewelry box that will serve her well throughout her life, but it was the $5 poster of the boy-band One Direction that made her blush. Of all the things she received, this is the one that made her stop looking for other presents and savor the gift just given.

Although her reaction to the poster was completely age-appropriate, it was a vivid reminder for me of how often I reach for and treasure the least valuable things in front of me. I can look at the countless times I felt I “had to have” this or that, only to long for something else days later. I also remember special gifts given to me, ones hand made or possessing emotional value, and reaching for the flashier store-bought this or that.

I have to believe it all points to how God must feel on a regular basis. We are given countless gifts on a daily basis, and yet they so often go by unnoticed or unappreciated. Sunsets painted across the sky, and we choose sitting in a sports bar watching a game with people we hardly know. Mountains to hike and beaches to walk for free, and we choose the gym with its monthly payments.  New acquaintances are picked over family members, movies for conversations.

It is a time of year to recalibrate what we value. It is time to trim the sail of our spiritual vessel and plot a revised course. Stay in for dinner, play games with your kids, find an hour for time alone, absorb nature, and give thanks to one greater than you, the giver of all gifts . . . particularly the ones with value.