40 Days 40 Gifts Day 14 & 15

Day 14 and 15 – the gift of time…

Over the past two days I gave the same gift twice – homemade banana cheesecake – on day 14 to friends and on day 15 to Beert’s family. But when I reflected on these gifts I realised that it wasn’t so much the gift of cheesecake (although it was yummy, even if I do say so myself). Rather it was the gift of time.

It’s striking how often food goes hand in hand with spending time with people – family dinners, company functions, and how many bible studies are spent around tea or dinner? Jesus also spent time with friends and family over food – He started his ministry at the wedding feast, he ate most meals with his disciples, teaching them as he did, and of course, he ended his earthly ministry over the Passover meal – the Last Supper. Jesus realised the value of spending time with people.

Beert’s family does this well – they eat meals together as often as they can and almost every weekend they all get together for tea. It’s something I value in my family too – family meals where we got a chance to catch up.

Scheduling a dinner date, or a cup of coffee forces us to take time out of our busy schedules in order to fully focus on the people we are with.

LESSON 14: Eat with people a little more, gym and work a little less (Don’t let SHAPE magazine get hold of this one) and give the people close to you a little more of your time.

LESSON 15: Spending time with others is equally about giving yourself gifts.
Posted by LaurenG on Monday, March 15, 2010

3 comment(s):

  1. i think eating together is an awsome time to spend with family and freinds and it would be great to be able to do that,i also think so many people take food for granted and half the time people dish up seconds and dont finnish ,how many really take the time to put there left over food in a disposable container and give it to somebody who is in need of that the next day, how many of us have gone with out food for a day or two some times even three ,how many of us have taken a bit extra to work just so that we can share it with someone at work or give it to the kitchen lady
    this might be food for thought but for some its food for life.
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  2. How many times has our "quest to give" really enabled us to step out of our comfort zone?

    We need to be careful not to pat ourselves on the back too quickly...yes its about giving simple things but its not necessarily about making it too simple (easy) for ourselves to give - to say - "oh there we go - I gave today". The challenge here is to give in a way that really "stretches" our faith - that pushes our boundaries. This is when we find out who we really are, this is when our obedience is tested and realationship with God strengthens.

    I love giving to to those close to me - its wonderfully rewarding - but this only takes giving so far. We need to get out of our comfort zones - and extend Gods hands to areas where the reward is not so visible, not so warm and fuzzy. This is not neccessarily a daily challenge - possibly not even monthly. But..however frequent..."stretching" is key...

    PS. Keep going with your writing, dont be discouraged. I'm sure many in the congregation read your work and are inspired (and dont feel the need to comment)...keep it up - only a few days left....
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  3. Thanks again for the comments. I only read this last one after I wrote Day 16 and 17, which I think speak to the concerns raised here. The last 10 days of lent are going to be about pushing it - stretching my faith in the things I give and the people I give to. Watch this space...
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