Unopened Gifts
Kristi Lebsack
It was one of those rare opportunities. Busy days filled with little kids and an even busier husband made for getting away together next to impossible. Not only had I arranged an overnight getaway sans babies, but it was totally unbeknownst to my unsuspecting husband - a birthday surprise. With a birthday 3 days after Christmas, it often seems like a non-event. I had planned this special surprise so that this year would be totally different, and he would be completely shocked.
I told him we would be going out for lunch after dropping the kidlets at my parents. He was very surprised to discover I had other plans as we drove out of town, on our way to the city 2.5 hours away, bags packed. Once he recovered from the shock (and the issue of not being totally in control!) we enjoyed a nice long drive, a fun Japanese dinner and an exciting live NHL hockey game. I had done well in my attempt at a “man date.” Unfortunately, the only really outstanding thing about that evening to me was the COLD!! While the fellowship was warm, the temperatures outside hovered around -35 degrees Celcius and were decreased further by the windchill. It was TERRIBLE!! After walking the 10 miles (it felt like!) from the hockey game to the truck, I was icy right through. My lips were blue and my teeth still chattered 15 minutes after driving in the warm vehicle. I could not warm up. Our arrival at the hotel only yielded more unpleasant news. They were having some “difficulties with the heating” and our room would not warm up to a comfortable level. Did I mention I was COLD?? I don’t like being cold. In fact, I hate it. And now it appeared I would remain this way for the duration of the night. Not happy.
The one redeeming factor was that I had booked a jacuzzi suite, so we began to fill the tub with the warmest water available. When it was full, we sank into the beautiful, hot, soothing water and finally began to relax from the shaking. I couldn’t believe how wonderful that water felt when I was literally cold to the core. We started to express our gratefulness over the gift of the warm water, then to extol the beauty of the tub, rave over how wonderful we felt and what a saving grace this jacuzzi had turned out to be. It was such an overwhelming relief after being so cold for so long that I found we were going on and on about how great it was and how thankful we were for this rare treasure, especially at this time of year when we regularly endure such brutal temperatures, sometimes for weeks or months on end.
All of the sudden, my husband began to laugh out loud. After talking extensively about the wonder of the rare jacuzzi tub and how amazing it was to enjoy its gift on a cold winter night, it suddenly hit him and he blurted out “You know what is so crazy about this?? We have one of these in our very own bedroom at home and we have never used it!! We could be enjoying this same luxury in our lives all the time but we have never taken the time to fill it up!!” We both burst out laughing. He was absolutely right! We had a beautiful large hot tub in our bedroom that had come with the house when we moved in, but truth be told, it had a nice cover on it that was piled high with books, papers, and folded laundry. The cover had become another surface in the room to hold things and the junk on top had become so familiar that it never even occurred to me anymore what was lying underneath. An empty jacuzzi.
That was probably 15 years ago. It’s another cold night and hubby is at another hockey game, only he has one of our sons along this time. We’ve built a new house with a different tub that doesn’t have a cover and gets some use from time to time. For some reason this memory slipped through me tonight and gave me a little chuckle as I remember the silliness of it. What stands out to me tonight, however, is how many places in my life can become like that unused hot tub. Clutter and life can take over until it becomes so familiar it fades into the woodwork, looking normal. Yet what treasures, unopened gifts, and undeveloped abilities lie beneath all of that? What blessings haven’t been unpacked yet they sit right under my nose? What opportunities are being walked by each and every day because they have become so familiar that I don’t think to look carefully, under the surface to see what is really there? What potential has yet to be unpacked but is overlooked because of the boxes of life stacked on top.
How difficult would it be to look just a little harder, with new eyes, for what might be all around me? What gift could be awaiting my discovery if I were to get past the familiar? What area in my life, if decluttered, could reveal some new delight that Father has been waiting for me to enjoy? For Him to enjoy?
As I begin this new year, I’m going to look for something new, but consider that the newness may not come from outside. It may be right in front of me, already in my life just waiting for me to discover that which is planted in my very own garden. I think I’ll do a little treasure hunting with Father this week. What about you? Anything hiding in your world just waiting to be revealed? How about a talent left dormant so long that you’ve almost forgotten it's there? If you’re willing to take a risk with me, let me know what you will be taking a second look at in your life and share it in the comments below. Happy seeking!
