The Gift of Those We Love

There’s a story about a young dating couple who went camping together one cold fall night. When they went to bed that night, she was sleeping on a cot and he was on the floor in a sleeping bag. Just after they turned out the lantern, the girlfriend leaned over and said, “Honey, it sure is cold in here.” The young man got up in the freezing cold, ran out to the car, and grabbed an extra blanket. Just as soon as he got back in his sleeping bag, the girl leaned over and said, “I’m sorry, I’m still cold.” So the guy got up in the cold once again and ran back out to the car. He grabbed another blanket, threw it on her, and jumped back under his covers. Once again for a third time, the girl whispered, “I just can’t get warm, honey.” So the young man leaned over and asked, “Hey, do you want to pretend like we’re married? Just tonight. We’re way out here in the middle of nowhere and no one will ever know.” The girl thought about it, then said, “Sure, just tonight.” So the boy responded, “Okay then, get up and get your dang blanket!”

Isn’t that the way it is sometimes? We get so familiar with each other, with people we love, that we take them for granted. And we forget…. We forget how important they are to us. We forget they may not be with us forever.

Today, may you and I remember the precious gift that God has given us in our loved ones. May we remember the gift we have in family and deer friends. And may our love for them ever be clear.

Let us pray: O God of Hope, we thank you for the people in our lives who are closest to us – perhaps a child, a spouse, a parent, or a friend. What a gift you have given us! Today we pray especially for them, and we lift them to your care. Help us to cherish them, and to see your love in them. May we never take them for granted, but instead may we appreciate each moment with them – even the difficult moments. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.