Every Good and Perfect Gift is from Above

Every Good and Perfect Gift is from Above
Samantha Brindle

Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
James 1:17

I was a “daddy’s girl” from the day I was born. I loved my dad more than anything, and there was nothing in this world he could not do or fix. He had a huge heart and would give anyone the shirt off his back. He is still a good man, but things between us changed a lot when my parents divorced at the age of six.

My dad remarried when I was eight, and to say that his new wife and I did not get along would be a huge understatement. I won’t go into all the details of our relationship, but I do want to share this one Christmas story. My parents always left “Santa’s gifts” unwrapped, but my stepmom always wrapped “Santa’s gifts” for her kids. So, without knowing her tradition was the new tradition in my dad’s home, imagine my heartache when I wake up on the first Christmas morning after their marriage, and there are no unwrapped presents under the tree! One small Care Bear was unwrapped, and since I was the first one up, I sat on the floor and played with the Care Bear until everyone else got up. When my dad saw me playing with it, he said, “That’s not yours” (It was my stepmom’s). I learned to adapt to all her traditions for the next ten years until I married at 18 and moved away. As an adult, I rarely saw my dad, and my relationship with him had been strained and different since they got married because it seemed that his wife would do anything to keep us apart. They eventually divorced when I was 33.

His current wife, of eleven years now, encourages our relationship, and they would come to our house on Christmas Eve and then back on Christmas day to see what the kids got from Santa. Although I saw him 2-3 times a year after he married his current wife, I still felt like I was around a stranger. We never had a bad relationship; we just simply had no relationship at all.

Well, that all changed about 18 months ago, and this past Christmas, they spent the week in our home and were able to spend Christmas morning with us. It was the best Christmas I have had in a very long time. I have always kept the tradition of leaving one gift out unwrapped from Santa for my kids. So, imagine the joy I felt when I woke up and saw that Santa (my dad) had left an unwrapped gift under the tree for me! Not just any gift but a Kitchen Aid Mixer! A gift that I have wanted my whole life!

My dad left to go back home three days after Christmas, and as I pondered my relationship with my dad now and all the great days that we have had together this past week, I couldn’t help but be reminded of James 1:17. Every good and perfect gift is from above! God never changes. He never shifts, and there is no variation of Him. The Christmas gift from “Santa” was awesome, but the gift from God of having a relationship with my earthly father was so much better – it was truly perfect!

I attended a time of prayer with other women about two years ago, and the group leader asked if anyone had a hard time viewing God as their father. I raised my hand because of how strained the relationship with my earthly father had been. She prayed with me for weeks after that, and God led me to Psalm 27:10 – Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. Shortly after that, it seemed that my relationship with my dad changed.

Someone recently asked me what I thought had changed in my relationship with my dad for it to be so much better now. After looking back on everything, I believe that God allowed me to experience a time in my adult life when I truly needed my dad, and guess what? He was there. That was about a year and a half ago, and I truly feel like God has redeemed the relationship with my dad and has somehow restored all the years that I lost with him. This has reminded me of Joel 2:25 (a) – And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten.

To think back on how God restored a broken relationship of 35 years is certainly a good and perfect gift from above. I’m thankful how God has allowed me to experience Him as a good Father through my earthly father. For example, just like I needed my earthly father, I also need God – every hour, I need Him! Also, God desires a relationship with us as well! He is the perfect Father! When we call out to Him, He will be there! Remember that when we feel distant from Him, He didn’t move; we did! Matthew 6: 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.

Let’s talk about it:

Is God waiting on you to acknowledge that you need Him?
Has someone in your life abandoned you? Seek HIM! His word says He will hold you close. He will never leave us nor forsake us, and he may even restore the years that the locust has eaten, if possible.
Are you a stepparent or stepchild who needs to ask or extend forgiveness? Blended families are hard, but they are not impossible! Start to pray for your stepchild or stepparent and seek ways to reconcile past relationships. God changes hearts through prayer!