My Adopted Son Offers His Best; So Do I

Two pieces of white bread are delicately laid out on the counter. He takes the knife out of the jar and tries to smear the peanut butter around, fruitlessly. The delicious blob of brown goop refuses to submit to his authority. He is not fazed and continues on. Grabbing the squeeze bottle, he flips it over and clenches his fists around the middle of it as tightly as he can. Unaware of the “grr” coming  out of his mouth, his eyes open wider at the sight of the strawberry jelly piled high on the second piece of bread. Using the same metal knife, he spread the jelly around in the same unsuccessful fashion as the peanut butter. He is not deterred. Setting the sticky utensil down, he grabs each slice from underneath, and as if moving to the rhythm of an unheard slow song, the two slices collide and kiss in the middle. He flops the union of bliss on to a plastic orange plate. With pride and a smile from ear to ear he comes over to me and hands me the plate. “Here mom, I wanted to make you something. So I made you lunch!”

I am delighted and savor his offering of love.

I am that same child. I have meager efforts of projects and ideas that I muster together. Unaware of the holes in the middle or inability to spread things out evenly, my sandwiches of service and worship to God are done with the best intentions. They fall apart at times and lack the panache and graceful touches I strive to achieve. Do they meet the standards as a gift for the Holy of Holies? Are my offerings fit for the King of Kings? No way. They are not worthy. At close inspection I am aware that my gifts are shallow and inadequate. What am I to do? They are from the deepest parts of me that have been transformed since the moment of salvation. Oh how my heart hungers and thirsts to give my best, to give something to show my adoration and respect.  And so I offer my deficient efforts anyways, “God, here I wanted to do something for You. So, I…”

God is delighted and savors our offerings of love.

Let us not wait until we are perfect, 

with perfect gifts 

before we give God everything we have!