Unlike Bridal Shower Gifts

It pained me to crop off all the smiling faces in the photos below

but for respect of privacy I must!

Photo credit; Bridal shower hosts-my sister and niece

Last night I attended a bridal shower for my nephew's fiancée.

Each gift she opened was different but all were thoughtfully

chosen and wrapped for the bride-to-be to open,

and she did with smiles of delight, excitement and thankfulness!

It reminded me of a tidbit of conversation with my mother-in-law yesterday

as we talked of the day when we are 'presented'

back to God, all in our different wrappings,

but unlike bridal shower gifts, 

when God tugs at/opens the diverse wrappings

what remains will be the same in every 'gift';

The Living Soul returned to God,

who so thoughtfully and lovingly 'chose' us,

designed/created us so differently 

and, just as we carefully choose gifts for those we love

He too chose a gift for those He so loves!!

Knowing we are born sinners God provided an

eternal and universal gift/pardon for all who believe in Him.

For God so loved the world that

He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believes in Him will not perish

but have everlasting life

John 3:16

Whatever shapes our share of trials, disappointments and griefs,

God loves us with an unfailing love and justice!

How His face will beam as He welcomes His Bride in the

Greatest Wedding of all Time;

all honor and glory and praise will be for Him

who, through His Redeeming gift purchased Soul's salvation!!

To try and grasp the fulness of his love is mind-blowing!! 

No matter what befalls, God knows

Beneath the Wrapping that we see

His gift of boundless love bestows

More than enough for you and me

God's love no thought can comprehend

He weaves time's ephemeral gauze 

 That drapes The Day when all will bend

Before WHO IS, WILL BE and WAS 

How carefully He fashioned us

Beneath the fleeting part we see

God instilled the mysterious, 

Profound pulse of eternity

The pride and ignorance of fools

Blasphemes/rejects the Name, mighty to save

They do not fear the One who rules

Beyond the tissue of the grave 

God is not mocked; His love is just

Where mercy sparkles from morn's flask 

He grants, to humble faith-hope-trust

Beyond what we can think to ask

No matter what befalls, God knows

Beneath the Wrapping that we see

Each gifted moment overflows

With shimmers of eternity

© Janet Martin

What Gift of Grace is Jesus My Redeemer

Eph.2:1-10

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 

 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world 

and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,

 the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 

All of us also lived among them at one time,

 gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts.

 Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 

 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ

 even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 

 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, 

expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 

 not by works, so that no one can boast. 

 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do.