AS BIG AS WE MAKE IT!

Herb had been dating Liz for about a year. He was deeply in love with her and finally decided that he would ask her to marry him. So, he went to a jewelry store and used all of his hard-earned savings to purchase an engagement ring for her. Unfortunately, the rings were more expensive than he imagined, and he had little money to spend and had to settle for one with a small diamond.

One evening he took her to dinner, and after they ordered their meal, with a shy, trembling voice, he asked, “Liz, will you marry me?”

“Oh yes, of course, I will,” said Liz.

With tears in his eyes, he presented the ring to her and said, “Liz, I’m sorry, so sorry that the diamond is not as big as I wanted it to be or as large as my love.”

“Oh my,” said Liz, “that doesn’t matter. The diamond is as big as we make it!”

How very true! Value is always in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it?

We often substitute “things” for thoughtfulness or gifts with goodness. We even confuse large with lovely or big with beauty. Often we substitute spending time with someone by offering them a present instead of ourselves.

When we give something to someone, especially to God, the cost of the item is not, in the final analysis, what matters most. What matters most is our attitude and reason for giving.

Prayer:  May we realize, Lord, that giving reflects the sincerity of our heart, not the size of the gift. May we also show our love by what we do as well as what we give. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:      Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Colossians 3:14-25