In the holiday movie, Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold lives with a growing tension regarding an end of the year bonus he is expecting from his boss. When the long awaited special delivery envelope finally arrives, Clark gives a joyful announcement that the money that has come will go for the purchase of a swimming pool, a pool for which he had already written a check but didn’t have the money in his account to cover. His family shouts for joy. But when Clark opens the envelope, to his shock, there is no money. Instead, his bonus is a one year membership in the “Jelly of the Month” club. To which Cousin Eddie enthusiastically announces (and many of you can quote it with me), “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”
Though Cousin Eddie’s optimism was misguided, when I apply his words to a broader attitude about life, it actually gives me pause: “the gift that keeps on giving.” Ever since my triple bypass surgery a few years ago, I have felt a profound appreciation for the gift of each day. Indeed, as I slowly reflect on The Lord’s Prayer as a part of my morning centering time, “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” has taken on fresh significance. After praying this line, I routinely say to the Lord, “Thank you for the gift of today. I’m here. So use me in any way you see fit for your glory.” And then I tag it with, “And now, I consecrate my will to you anew and afresh. Not my will, but your will be done.” It’s difficult to put into words the sense of freedom and infusion of God’s strength that accompany this simple ritual.
So much of our lives can become so ego driven, endeavoring to make an impression or to gain status. Or we find ourselves living in various manifestations of fear: fear of rejection, fear of failure or, sometimes, fear of success. And because of these conflicted inner currents of stress and anxiety, we are ever striving for something that eludes us because we are out of alignment with the Creator’s design. Our soul needs to be realigned with Jesus. And that comes as we surrender our being every day as channels for God’s love and grace. If this becomes our daily practice, it serves as a daily reminder that the Spirit of Christ is truly “the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”
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