THE ULTIMATE GIFT

Each leaf represents a memory, experience, value or friendship

As we have been hustling and bustling about looking in all the stores for that special gift for our loved ones, trying to make sure it will be one they will feel satisfied with. We spend hours thinking and pondering what that special gift will be, not wanting any one to feel left out, then wrapping it to perfection. But,   WILL THEY LIKE IT? At times worrying and feeling stressed out wanting it to be all over.  Phew!

I have heard in the past few days some comments that have been said about gifts that have been given in the past to loved ones, mostly children.  One comment was “oh just another pair of pajamas” and throws them into a chair.  Another, I am going to give my daughter a gift card, because she cries every Christmas day because she never receives the kind of pajamas she likes. How much are you spending on me for Christmas this year, I have my eye on this special item in this particular store, or better yet, I don’t get as much as anyone else.

The wise old owl

I again this season have watched a movie Titled “THE ULTIMATE GIFT” Starring James Garner”. If you haven’t viewed it, you should. It is about a wealthy man who dies (James Garner) and he has video a series of request to his spoiled and entitled grandson. He puts his grandson through all these tests to see how he will handle himself. In the beginning the grandson is arrogant, willful and full of anger, as most selfish children are.  The grandson has a strong tendency to quit before finishing any of the tasks lacking maturity and work ethics, feeling awfully picked on. He meet a little girl who has cancer and is dying…this little girl teaches him about what it means to be kind and unselfish even though you can be sick and have only a few days left to live.  After each series of tasks he needs to go back and report to the lawyer who is the executor of his grandfather estate.  The lawyer will determine how well he passed the tests. Surprising the grandson ended feeling he had accomplished them to the satisfaction of the lawyer. The executor decided to give him a large amount of money to spend, wanting to learn how wisely he would spend the money. The grandson had wisely chosen to spend it building a hospital for cancer patients who could not afford one with high specialized quality care.

The grandson soon became aware through hardships and trials he had experienced what kind of dangers there may be performing these tasks, in some cases his very life was in danger.  Upon reporting where he spent the large sum of money that was given to him, the executor was pleased to find he had spent it with wisdom and maturity wanting to make other lives happy and comfortable. The grandson believing he had spent his entire grandfather’s estate, was about to leave the room, when the executor begins to read the last will and testament of his beloved grandfather.  To his amazement the grandson had proven himself a 100 times over, therefore was left with the Ultimate Gift.  Full ownership of the entire estate worth billions of dollars.                                                                                                     

In the past few days we have had powdery white snow in our community, then cold temperatures with fog. The fog leaves the trees branches and everything it touches with glimmering sparkly flecks of beauty. With this beauty comes danger, because the fog is so dense your visibility is only a few feet in front of you.  You needed to be totally aware of where you are while traveling the freeways, trying to drive with caution I could barely see if I was in my lane or other vehicles and exit signs until I was upon them. While encountering these dangers when shopping the past few days, I was very grateful to have made it home safe and sound.  As with the grandson, it took wisdom to realize beautiful scenes with those awesome sparkly flecks of grandeur of snow and frost are gorgeous to observe,  can also be a danger to inhibit us from reaching the goals we have set for ourselves.

            “THE ULTIMATE GIFT”

The Lord could have called on legions of angels to take Him down from the cross, but He faithfully endured to the end and completed the very purpose for which He had been sent to earth, thus granting eternal blessings to all who will ever experience mortality. If we are patient in our afflictions, endure them well, and wait upon the Lord to learn the lessons of mortality, the Lord will be with us to strengthen us unto the end of our days: “He that shall [faithfully] endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mark 13:13) and return with honor and safety to live with our Heavenly Father.