The Gift of Receiving ...

I am fairly terrible at receiving most gifts.   I just don't how to say thank you graciously.  Receiving compliments is the same way.  Whatever it is in my psyche, go on, analyze, no matter how sincere,my response comes out stuttering and BLAAAAH.  And the bigger the gift the worse it gets.  If I'm given a significant gift that I could never equally return, AAAHHH!  How does one say thank you to something like that?!  I can hear myself before it even comes out of my mouth.  I know it's going to come off like I don't really care.  But that's not it at all!!  I just don't know how to thank someone for giving so unselfishly of themselves. I so badly want to return their generosity in some way.  I am a terrible gift giver anyway.  I want to be a good gift giver.  I spend hours scouring stores and websites trying to find the perfect something to no avail.  So how do I repay someone for giving me an awesome gift when I am so lame at it?  But what if there isn't any way?  What if I could never repay the gift?  Then what?  How do I rest in just accepting a gift without feeling like I MUST repay this?

Everyone has a different version of what they could or couldn't repay.  Often I don't want to tell others about a gift I received because I can never tell how it will be understood.  Some may be jealous of the gift and I immediately feel this overwhelming guilt that I was lucky enough to have received it.  Another may have the good fortune to have bought themselves three of what I was given.  They will never understand the gratitude I feel and how humbling it is to be in the position of never being able to repay someone else.  So once again, I keep my mouth shut.  I can't tell anyone about the giver's generosity.

Evan is so great at receiving gifts.  He makes everyone feel great about the gifts they give.

 As soon as he even hears about a gift coming his way he can hardly contain his excitement.  It's all he can talk about.  Gifts are what motivate bribe him.  No matter how big or small he loves every one of them.  It is the first thing he talks about when he gets out of bed. The first thing he asks about when I pick him up after school.  The first thing he tells EVERYONE about friend or stranger.  If you gave him a gift he will thank you for that gift FOREVER.  Every time we see you he will thank you for that gift FOREVER.  He will hug you, thank you, tell everyone about that gift.  He has absolutely no problem receiving gifts.

As Christians, we are told to be generous when someone is in need & to 'rejoice with those who rejoice'.  There are so many verses in the Bible about giving to others.  But there just aren't as many on HOW ON EARTH DO I PAY THEM BACK?!!! (Except not repaying with evil, but that's not what I had in mind, of course. I was thinking more like a nice spaghetti dinner.  Which maybe would be evil considering my cooking skills.)

It's the Christmas season that reminds me of the only gift that none of us could ever be jealous of or buy three of for ourselves.  I suppose that's one reason why God chose to give it to us the in way he did.  I especially want to tell others about this gift the way Evan tells others about his.  I want to wake in the morning speaking of this gift.  This gift should be what I am telling all of my friends or strangers about.  I will be forever thankful for this gift.  It is the gift we can only receive and none of us could ever repay.  

The gift of Jesus. 

Bible Verse I'm Loving Today:
Luke 2:10-11 

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.  

He is the Messiah, the Lord."

I'm Thankful For ... Jerry Seinfeld!

Yep, you read it right.  This Thanksgiving I was a little thankful for Jerry Seinfeld.  And not because I love a good Seinfeld show.  Which I do.  Recently Jerry has taken some heat because he said he thought he was 'on the spectrum' during an interview with Brian Williams of NBC NightlyNews.   Meaning, the Autism Spectrum.  Then because of that heat he retracted what he said and then said he wasn't actually medically diagnosed as having Autism. He said he meant he thought he understood what it was like to be on the upper end of the Autism Spectrum.  He gets it.  And honestly, I'm thankful for someone who says, "I get it."  There aren't many people who get my boy.

Recently, my husband and I both separately complimented a young woman because she "gets" Evan.  She didn't feel the need to ask 500 questions about why Evan is the way he is.  She didn't act scared of his different behavior.  She didn't have a problem just glancing to one of us when she didn't understand something he said.  Every moment wasn't a teaching moment or therapy of some kind.  She had fun with playful teasing just like she would any other of the kids that were there.  She let Evan be who Evan was meant to be.  And it is obvious Evan responds to this woman and the way she treats him.  He seeks her out.  He wants to spend time with her.  She makes no demands of him to be something he isn't.  She loves him for who he is.  And because of this, he wants to be around her.  Don't we all want this?

Times like that are rare for us.  Those people are rare. 

So if Jerry Seinfeld says he relates to Autism.  More power to him.  I do keep in mind he is a celebrity.  So unless he comes over for dinner I may never know his true reason for saying what he said.  (I hope he doesn't come over for dinner.  I think his wife is a way better cook than I am.  I know, most people cook better than I do.)  I'm thankful Jerry says he understands the way those that act a little different are behaving.  

I'm even more thankful for those people in my life that love my Evan and love my family for who we are ~ the quirks, super loud 'WooHoo's', occasional hair pulling and not so nice screaming.  All of it.  Those people that make no demands.  Those that love us for who we are.  I'm thankful for you.

Bible Verse I'm Loving Today:
1 Corinthians 13:5

"It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."