Gift of a Challenge

Gift of a Challenge

Gifts were given to me and I never noticed how valuable they may be to the giver. All I said then when I was younger was ” I want more. ” Back in grade 2, I received a Lego set, a gasoline station. I set it up, got to assembling and putting the blocks together and whola! I was able to duplicate the picture on the box. I’ll always remember that toy, ah! It brings back beautiful memories from a kids point of view. Parents giving me the ” best ” gifts, a father so adamant in providing and giving us what we need and want, a mother who was excited to do the shopping and seeing the smiles on our faces. What I can’t remember is if I ever said ” thank you ” out loud or if I even hugged them. Ah! Beautiful and yes, sometimes, poignant memories.
Boy! All because I wanted more. I wanted the racetrack, complete with the race cars ( we got them by the way but they were not Lego pieces ). I wanted more.
Teenage years and still, we, I received gifts. Material gifts ( umm, chocolates and more chocolates everyday of one summer, Sanrio stationeries, cool bags from Tickles, nice pants and shoes and a whole lot of things ), memories ( beautiful ones by the way, ah, to be young and secretly in love ) and lots more.
Early adulthood ( or so it seems ) dimmed the earlier wonder years of receiving gifts. Less gifts, more challenges. If only escape was near then, I would have entered the nearest available door.
Middle ( is there such a term?! ) adulthood, is the prelude to the clincher. The prelude. Gifts now take on a different form. Totally different forms. A good read, adobo ( Filipino viand that is just so yummy! ), time off from mommyhood for an hour or two, a red satchel bag, a good dvd ( The Notebook or Frozen, ahem ), running early in the morning, beautiful memories with best friends, yes, even challenges. Gifts, challenges, trials, roadblocks, deadlocks, mountains, blessings. Take on different shapes or forms, I’ll still consider you guys as gifts, as blessings because each one brings me closer and closer to our Creator. The gift of a challenge? Yep, definitely because ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ”