Most Treasured Gift

Every year at Christmas when I was a kid we would wonder who Grandma Graham had made a quilt for this year. Back then she made about three or as many as six a year for the kids and grandkids, now she only makes one or two. Finally one year, during elementary school, I got one. Anyone who has ever lived with me knows what my most treasured possession is. They all know, I don’t care about any other possession as much as I care about my quilt from Grandma.

For years some people thought I was weird for loving a blanket so much, but it is the love that went into it that means so much. Living so far from home, a quilt like this, means so much. The only thing I would treasure more would be if my mother made a quilt for me. One year grandma learned of how much I loved her quilt and she made me a needle point of “Blessed Assurance”, an old hymn. Now I have two possessions that if I ever lost, I would be crushed.

There is so much I do to make sure the quilt never gets damaged. One year it had an old musty smell to it, and I wanted to get it washed. I played 20+ questions with my mother on how to best wash and preserve the quilt. I asked my mom so many questions about how to wash the quilt I think she got a little annoyed, but I wanted to make sure the quilt did not become damaged from the washing.

For years I struggled with protecting my relationship with God as much as I protect Grandma’s quilt. I was like the Israelites, I complained to God every time life was not going well. During college I got to the point of arguing with God and yelling my frustrations at Him. God was my punching bag; I hurled my anger and frustrations at Him. “God why don’t I have any friends, I stick with You and where do I end up??? FRIENDLESS, thanks a lot!!! God you created man to have a companion, You made Eve for Adam, then why have I never had a real girlfriend and yet everyone else has no trouble??? THANKS A LOT!!! God are you even listening to me?? H-E-L-L-O GOD in case You have not noticed it is not going that well down here!!!” Day after day I threw punches at God, and would not stop.

I am reading about the Israelites right know and their journey to the promise land. Much like myself they threw punches at God. Exodus 14:11-12, Exodus 17:2, Exodus 32, Number 11:1-15, Number 13:25-33, Number 14:1-12, and I am sure more to come. Constantly the Israelites are complaining about their situation. Moses interceded many times on their behalf, pleading with God not to destroy them.

Carlos Mencia has a show on comedy central named after him. It is a show similar to the Dave Chappelle show, with what some would perceive as crude humor. One skit Carlos does is called “The Dee, Dee, Dee awards”. The skit is about normal people doing stupid things. If I were to give out a “Dee, Dee, Dee award” I would defiantly give one to the Israelites.

Here they are being saved from slavery after seeing seven plagues come down on the Egyptians, and they still complain to God and Moses. Saved from slavery, crossed on the floor of the Red Sea to escape the Egyptians, and still they complain about water, and want to return to Egypt. Saved from Egyptian slavery, crossed big sea, witnessed water gushing out of a rock and still they turn to a gold cow to worship. After all that they build a magnificent Tabernacle just as God instructed, and still they complain about the food available for them to eat. They witness God’s hand in delivering them out of the slavery in Egypt, pushing the sea apart, destroying the golden cow, sends more quail their way then they can consume, and still they doubt God can deliver them into the land He promised them. Every step of the way the Israelites want to go back to Egypt. Dee, Dee, Dee, God is there, DUHHH, God has shown no examples of a limit to His power, DUHHH, God has shown time and time again He can be trusted, DUHHH. Hey dummy, yeah you, you dumb Israelites, TRUST HIM. But the morons don’t and as a result that generation except for two never occupies the promise land. The sad part is Moses, who had tried so hard and for so long, never got to go into the promise land.

The Israelites did not treasure their relationship that they had with God. They were happy with mediocre, back in Egypt. Getting to the promise land was going to take trust and work on their part. All they kept wanting was the easy way out.

Dee, Dee, Dee, hello God is working in your life. Can you really say, that there is no evidence of His love in your life? Can you really say, He has done nothing for you? Are you just looking for the easy way out? I felt so stupid when I found myself answering yes to all these questions, and saw myself acting like an Israelite during Moses’ time.

I felt like the biggest moron, to realize that God was nothing more to me then a punching bag. I am so sorry for the way I have acted. Over the past five years I have tries to get rid of this punching bag mentality. God is not a punching bag, He is Grandma’s quilt. Made in love and there for me to enjoy and cherish.