This is a guest post by my friend, and former room-mate from many years ago, Javier Vazquez Jr. Jay, as he is affectionately called, posted this encouraging story in Facebook and I just had to post, so I asked permission to post in my blog. Enjoy!
At the beginning of the year a student gave me a small, hand-made, paper volcano that was colored and beautiful.
I thanked her and hung it above my desk. It was there all year and I was proud of it.
The year ends, we cry and say our goodbyes.
As I was packing up for summer I took it down and noticed that it had some weight to it. I carefully peaked inside and saw a small apple. I then opened it up completely.
Turns out to be a small treasure chest in the shape of a stack of books with an apple on top of them. And Inside was a short rope with many colors that she had hand-made just for me.
I couldn’t believe it! All year I thought the volcano was the gift, but it was really only the wrapping paper.
Isn’t life like that some times?
Beautiful things happen, we make good friends, or have an amazing experience. We think that it ends there but it doesn’t. If we dig deeper we find out that it was all just wrapping paper and that the true gift is waiting to be revealed. And within that gift, another.
What God-given hidden gifts do you have that need to be brought to light?
WOW, so glad you shared this. Can’t wait to tweet it!
Funny and sad how sometimes we just look at the wrapping and don’t open the gifts inside.
TC, your comment reminds me also how people look at the outside, but in the inside we have gifts that God has given us to use. Thanks for sharing.
What a cool story!!! It really has a practical implication everyone needs to think about. God has given us gifts and sometimes it requires us to open them even more to receive them all.
Thank you for sharing this story.
Dan thanks for sharing.