Unexpected Gifts

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We all experience difficult times and traumatic moments--it's part of our life on earth.  With God's grace we accept these times and find inner strength to cope with them. So when we receive an unexpected gift, our hearts fill with delight and we hopefully savor the gift.

I live in a temperate rain forest.  This means we have a good deal of rain and very few truly sunny days.  In April we had a total of 10 inches of rain, but last month we were the recipients of a special gift--warmth and sunshine!  Rainfall total was only half an inch, and the sun shone almost every day.  

What do you do with such a gift?  I had to find a pair of sunglasses, and then ate outside as often as I could. Children were able to go swimming in the lakes, families could go on hikes without packing boots.  Everyone was in good spirits.

We know this special gift will come to an end--after all, this is a rain forest.  But this has been a reminder to us to live in the present moment, to savor the warmth. I enjoy each moment of these days and bask in the beauty that surrounds me. This is pure gift--I don't take it for granted. God's presence seems so tangible--I don't take this for granted either, but celebrate it as perpetual gift.

When have you received an unexpected gift?  Did you take time to savor the gift?

Marie Lucek, OP

Juneau, AK

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