Thankful for the Greatest Gift

Have you ever experienced a desert-like existence for a decade or more and, miraculously, the situation changes in a flash? Have you suddenly, unexpectedly, and overwhelmingly been blessed by God? If so, how did you respond? How did you give thanks? Were you thankful for more than temporal relief?

For the past decade, I've served on the board of a Christian nonprofit organization that has served hundreds of children admirably. Serving on this board has been difficult due to omnipresent financial stress-real, palpable stress. Like other board members, I lived daily with the weight, the heavy burden of the financial needs of this organization. Deep down inside we wondered constantly, "How long will we continue to be able to serve children and pay our faithful employees?"

After 10 years of carrying this weight, I was nearly at a breaking point last week. As I walked across Grove City College's quadrangle to attend a chapel service, I told God that I was in a desert. My faith was drying up. I felt like a spiritual zombie going through the motions. Like many similar prayers in the past, I told Him I didn't think I could go on much longer serving this organization. As in the past, my heart cried out for God's blessing but I didn't expect a response.

A short while later I had a meeting with an alumnus in my office when the phone rang. It was the executive director of the nonprofit organization. "Lee, are you sitting?" she asked. "You had better sit down." I sat down.

"Are you sitting yet?" the director asked. "Yes," I replied. "OK. A person who has been blessed by our work stopped by the office this morning and dropped off an unsolicited multi-six-figure donation to use as the board sees fit." Good thing I was sitting-I started to shake. And I did a good job of holding back tears in front of the alumnus. Because I was in a meeting, the conversation with the executive director was necessarily short and the meeting resumed.

Stunning-in the twinkle of an eye, God lifted the burden of the little non-profit organization . . . and the mundane things of work and life continued as if nothing happened. But something did happen! We experienced God's blessing! I want to praise Him! Our board wants to praise Him! But how? We will find a way and we hope it will be appropriate. But nothing we can do will be adequate. We are in God's debt.

Questions run through my head like: "Why don't I rejoice in the difficult times?" "Why is my faith so weak?" "Why do I carry the burden and possess it so tightly?" And finally: "Why haven't I rejoiced in my salvation each day like I rejoiced in God's monetary gift?" I thank God for this gift. But I am surprised by the way the gift has made me feel-I am much more thankful now than ever for the gift that Christ gave to me and all who believe in Him (and who are yet to believe in Him) when He suffered on the cross for us. We are in His debt. He paid for our sins and we can never repay Him.

I give thanks for the family who gave the gift for the financial burden they lifted. I am especially thankful because their gift points directly to the Giver of the Greatest Gift this Thanksgiving. Amen.