Monday, 22 December 2008

  • An Awesome Gift- The Gift that Keeps on Giving

    Guest post submitted by BarryDadof3

    The Gift that keeps on giving

    Tonight my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law stopped by for a Christmas visit. My father-in-law handed my wife a Christmas card envelope and said this year they decided to do something different as a gift for christmas.

    I usually become leery  of the word "different". "Different" is one of those terms you use to explain something that you expect someone to be upset about. So as my wife opened the card I started wondering what could be so horrible that my wife and I could get upset. We appreciate any presents that are given to us because of the act behind them and not the actual gift.

    As my wife opens the card there is a folded blue piece of paper. My first thought was gift certificate but my next thought was what was so bad about that. So my wife opened the blue piece of paper and here is what it said...

    To: Barry and Kristen and kids

    A gift of 50 Bible's have been purchased in your name and will be donated to a new believer in Afghanistan.
    Have a blessed Christmas!!

    From Dad & D

    My first reaction was joy...I think that this is an awesome gift. God has blessed us so much this year for Christmas and this gift allows us to give a gift to someone else. I take tremendous joy that there will be a new believer that will receive a Bible in his hands and it was because someone gave a gift to me.

    Then my joy grew even more after my wife's father told us the story about how this started (I am going to do this from memory so the story I will be providing is the to the best of my memory):

    A taxi driver became a Christian through a man that attended my father-in-law's church. The man was there on business and when he met the taxi driver he explained to the taxi driver about Christ. Through that conversation the taxi driver accepted Christ. A time period later, the taxi driver saw a man crying outside a hospital. The taxi driver started to talk to the man and the man shared he was leader of a mosque. The taxi driver explained Christ to that man and that man accepted Christ. The man that was the leader of the mosque turned his mosque into a church and now people are accepting Christ in that area at a staggering rate. Now the area is in need of Bibles and this gift is for that area.

    As I think about this gift I am humbled by God and his willingness to allow me to be included in this growth of His kingdom. With this gift of Bibles God shared an ultimate gift in a glimpse of his power.

    I think this is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

    Have you ever received a gift that keeps on giving?

Comments (11)

  • shanella

    no :( but I'm hoping to this year ... :)

  • GodZchiK@xanga

    That's amazing!!!!! No, but I started buying Bibles for soliders overseas, and knowing that one may come to know God because of it is gift enough.

  • crevis05@xanga

    I guess my guitar.  At least my music is a gift... lol... maybe I'm just full of myself...

  • Liera@xanga

    i'm going to have to respectfully disagree here. afghanistan is 99% muslim. sending bibles over there (in addition to the soldiers) might be seen as an insult to the majority of afghans - "first you try to invade us and now you try to convert us?" imagine if they started sending the qur'an over here to the US, u'd probably be a little taken aback by the gesture, even if it was sent in good faith. other than for literary purposes, i don't see this as a positive contribution to public diplomacy between the US and afghanistan.

  • crevis05@xanga

    @Liera@xanga - I don't think the bibles were just passed out, I think they were passed out to new believers.

  • sugartomyhoney@xanga

    What a awesome story and an even more wonderful way to celebrate the gift of Christ at Christmas!

  • chix0rgirl@xanga

    That's awesome.

    Share a link or something, please?

  • yoluse@xanga

    @Liera@xanga - Plenty of Muslim literature is printed in the US. Anyone who wants a copy can get one. Just visit a mosque or a shop owned by devout Muslims. In my experience, Muslims are very glad to hand out literature. Even when I refused the literature handed to me in a shop I walked into, the owner kept insisting until I took it.  However, there are a lot of countries where the Bible is not printed freely and people who want one pray for years to be able to purchase, find, or be given one. If we truly believe in freedom of religion, then everyone should have the choice to take or refuse a Bible.

  • Teradactal_Girl@xanga

    That is a great story.

    My boyfriend, for this Christmas bought me a Bible with it personalized on the front that says M.C. Mudkips for the nickname he calls me.

    I believe it's the best gift ever and its also a wonderful gift for him, to know that I'll be able to read the book of God any time. To call my own. And it's all thanks to him and it makes me feel great inside.

  • marieka_s@xanga

    I love this idea for Christmas.  My grandparents donate to a charity in our family's name for Christmas each year, and this year I donated a goat and two chickens through World Vision as a gift to my parents.  Same type of idea.  I still love giving traditional gifts, but this type of giving or receiving certainly takes the focus off of us and puts it on Jesus Christ. 

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About the Author

  • BarryDadof3@xanga
    • From: BarryDadof3@xanga
    • Name: Barry
    • About Me: Hey There, I am a father of 3 children and husband to my wife (Kristenmom0f3). I am a Christian who enjoys sharing Adonai's word with others. I made this blog to become an outlet for my thoughts and feelings on being a father in this world in which we live May Elohim Bless You All Shalom BarryDadof3
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