The Lens of Good Gifts

Over the years, I’ve learned to scan the day for evidence of God’s good gifts. It’s a way of interpreting the day through the lens of God’s goodness. He’s always working to bring good about, but we need to look. We need to open our eyes to it.

With the frosty evenings, I’ve now harvested all the basil. I made a few batches of pesto, but I found myself so sad I didn’t have more stored up for the winter. I told my family how much I would miss my trips to the garden for fresh basil. So all day, I was thinking about planting more basil next year and how I wish I had more to make pesto.

Later in the day, my daughter and I talked about making an apple pie with all our apples. But I forgot the ingredients we needed while shopping. Besides, by late afternoon, we realized we didn’t have much time for pie baking. But still, we thought about that apple pie.

Then, strangely and beautifully, a neighbor who loves to bake wanted to thank my husband for watching her dog for one afternoon, and she gave him the largest and most delicious apple pie. She even included a jar of her homemade caramel sauce as a topping. Still warm in our hands, we all shared a slice immediately.

Then, even more out of the blue, my friend finds me to ask if I need any basil. Their garden produced so much basil that they had bags and bags of harvested basil. Would I please swing by and pick up some bags of basil?

I stand in my kitchen now surrounded by apple pie and basil. My heart wanted both, and both arrived. Sometimes, the Lord designs a day like this of what seems like miraculous, loving provision–of things I didn’t need at all but only wanted.

I love scanning the day for good gifts and reflecting on odd moments of provision that seem divine.

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