Okay so, I’ve been thinking for a while now, so many times after I give someone a gift or offer someone my time, they reply with, “you didn’t have to do that.” And I reply with, “You’re right, I didn’t have to do it. I wanted to do it.” But they never seem to understand why. And when asked why, frankly, I couldn’t answer. I don’t know why … I just do it. I don’t mind offering my time to someone who needs it, or lending my ear or shoulder to someone. I don’t mind buying gifts to show them that I still care about them, or to celebrate a special occasion. But every time someone would ask me “why” I did it … I couldn’t answer … until now.
I’m reading a book by “my man Max” (as I like to call him) … better known as Max Lucado. It’s called ‘He Chose the Nails’. I’ve had the book for a while … I bought it on one of my, what I like to call, pity trips to the Anchor Room (I go there when I’m feeling down! The A Room puts a little more life in my day, and a little more caffeine in my body!). Anyway, I decided to start the book tonight. And after reading only one chapter, I decided to write this! lol
Max starts out by describing a man lost in a woman’s world. He’s trying to buy something nice for his wife, but no matter which department he goes into, he just can’t seem to figure it out. He tries the clothing department, but, when asked what size his wife is, he is unable to answer. He tries the purse department, but when asked which kind of purse his wife might like, he is again unable to answer. His dad had taught him to buy perfume …, which is what his mother, liked … but his wife didn’t like the perfume. So here he was once again … lost in a woman’s world, and unable to answer. But he didn’t seem to mind.
Max then says, “we would do it all over again. In fact, we do it all over again. Every Christmas, every birthday, every so often we find ourselves in foreign territory. Grownups are in toy stores, dads are in teen stores. Wives are in the hunting department, and husbands are in the purse department.”
How true is this? We go out of our way to give … we are so happy with ourselves when a loved ones rips open the wrapping paper and presents a huge smile, or thanks because of the gift you have given them.
Max takes things a step further and says, “Not only do we enter unusual places, we do unusual things. We assemble bicycles at midnight. We hide the new tires with mag wheels under the stairs. And we’d do it all again. Having pressed the grapes of the service, we drink life’s sweetest wine – the wine of giving. We are at our best when we are giving. In face we are most like God when we are giving.”
After I read that sentence, something clicked. We are most like God when we are giving. God gave us so much that we didn’t need. He gave us the beauty of the earth, the tunes of the birds, the tastes of food, the smells of the flowers. He didn’t have to give those things to us. We could survive with out them. But He gave them to us because He loves us.
So, now that I’m kicking myself for not reading this book before now, the next time someone says, “you didn’t have to do that,” and I reply with , “I know I didn’t have to do it. I wanted to,” and they reply with, “but why?” I’ll simply say, “Because I love you.”
I have a feeling this book is going to give me a lot more then an answer to a silly question … it’s probably going to give me an answer to many silly questions. So, I’m gonna quit blogging about stupid things, and get back to my book! J
