The Gift

We were sitting in the pool last weekend, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, enjoying some time with the kids. I was watching the waves come in, pounding on the reef, mesmerized by the beauty and awe. And for a moment, it was if time slowed down.

It's a gift. This (time here) is a gift.

There was no mistaking the clarity, but it was that still small voice.

And I pondered what He meant. This is a gift. So many meanings, like peeling back layer upon layer of an onion. The gift that keeps on giving.

A gift. It can be something you have been waiting for and are so excited as you receive it because you know exactly what it is. Then there are some gifts just don't seem to be for you. So you hold on to them and bless someone else with the gift that someone gave you. Some you save for later - and though they don't seem to make any sense at the moment, in time you realize: this is perfect for me - this was a great gift.

Was that what He was trying to get me to see? He wasn't talking about the time at the pool. He was talking about our time here on this island. Yes, this is a beautiful place. But there has been so much more that has taken place than just enjoying the beauty. This gift of being here on this island has been many things - a time of learning, a time of growing, a time of stretching, a time of peace, a time of pain and heartache, a time of being alone, a time of craziness, a time of new friendships, a time of feeling way out of my comfort zone, a time of joy, a time of new memories, a time of trusting, a time of giving, a time of healing.

Could all these things have happened elsewhere or at another time? I'm quite sure of it, but He chose here and He chose right now.

There is an appointed time (season) for everything, and a time to every purpose (activity, even) under heaven. Eccl. 3:1