What I Got is What I Want

I believe that long before Christmas actually arrives, we already think of the things we want to give especially to our loved ones. And sometimes, to spare us the "agony" of thinking what gifts would delight them, we would go our way of asking them their "wish list". At least that narrows down our choices when we go out on our Shopping spree. Saves time, saves effort.

And I believe that same is true with our God. Long before Christmas, He already knows what to shower us with to make our Christmas a little more extra special than the Christmas we had a year ago. And yes, like little toddlers, long before Christmas, we already prepare our cute hi's and hello's to our God just so we are sure that He misses nothing on our Christmas wish list.

But it was different for me. I didn't have a list of my own. Why?

Come with me..

Here is the list of the little treasures I received this Christmas (as of December 25, 2008). Not in chronological order (hehe).

1. Two scarfs (and cute they are, original pa.. Haha.. God must be telling me something.. Hmmm.. I'm excited!) - from Mira Barrozo at our High School Christmas party (Thank you!)

2. One pink Tomato bag - from lovely ate zha at our short yet sweet G12 Christmas party at Mocha Blends (the sweetest thing, Thank you!)

3. One small Bench Teddy Bear - from Sir Larry at our Marketing Team's Christmas party (now I call him my Matthias, inspired by Ptr. Cesar Castellanos, haha, Thank you!)

4. One bottle of Bench Cotton Candy cologne - from Sir Larry (I love the scent, Thank you!)

5. One pair of Bench boxer shorts for women - from Sir Larry (my housemates loved it, haha, Thank you! Nice choice of color, if I may add)

6. One big pillow - at the DMI Christmas party (to whoever heard the Lord and followed His still small voice, Thank you!)

7. One Pooh pillow - from Mami Jen (simply said, Thank you!)

8. One cute pair of Bench earrings - from ate gracie (stunningly dangling, haha, Thank you!)

9. One Grab Bag - from our new Marketing director, Sir Glenn (your heart is very much appreciated, Thank you!)

10. One busy bug - from Ms. Loraine Javalera (my smile was stuck to my face when I saw it, Thank you!)

11. My New Bible with Concordance (Anglicised Version) - from my dearest Mom at our family's exchange gifts (what more can I say? THANK YOU!)

12. One personalized chain (with Princess Hazel on it) - from weene (thoughtful you are, Thank you!)

13. One organizer of Post-its (baptizing it with that name) - from Yehey.com (A delight for me, Thank you!)

14. One Tweety Bird thick and soft blanket - at GCF's Christmas party (Sorry, but I believe it's for me, Thank you!)

Here are the others which may not be considered as gifts per se but gifts they still are to me because I didn't have to pay for them to have them..

15. An oven toaster - DMI's raffle prize (last year, I won a Coffee Maker, haha!)

16. Three thousand and six hundred worth of GC's - Samsung Pa-Christmas (a bulk for my family, yey! we'll go shopping today)

17. A manicure set - Marketing Team Pa-Christmas (I have seen nothing like it before, hehe)

18. Trip to DAVAO c/o Samsung and a short moment with my G12 leader ate Kim - (Thank you!)

19. A set of pink towels (so soft) - Marketing Team's raffle prize (Thank you!)

20. and FOOD, FOOD, FOOD - at all the Christmas parties I have attended (Thank you!)

(I have to recheck if there is anything I missed but to every little thing that landed under my Christmas tree - Thank you!)

You might be wondering now - are these all you wrote on your wish list? No new cellphone? No new laptop? No new house and lot?

Haha! Of course, those are there.. but not for this Christmas.. And I believe my God is nodding with a smile on His face. And in that smile lies my confidence.. =)

This Christmas was one of the most, if not the most, exciting Christmas I ever had in my 23 years. Not that this was the time when I received the most number of presents (oh well, it really was, haha) but because this Christmas, I had a "special" life-changing encounter with the Giver.

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14-15

This is just one of the many verses in the Bible that assures us, His children, that whatever we ask in His name, He shall grant it to us. My God is such a generous Giver, isn't He? Generously sweet. Oh yes, if we just ask anything, He hears us and He willingly provides for us. But not too fast there, my dear! We look at the verse for the second time and see if we haven't missed anything.

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14-15

Now in bold letters are your favorite words, I must believe. Let me just state it again for the third time, slowly now, IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US.

What did it say? If we ask anything according to what? (His will) To what? (His will) To what? (His will)

Excelente!

And what is His will? What is God's will?

One of the names of our God is JEHOVAH JIREH which means, He is our Provider. A Provider of our needs. Our NEEDS. It didn't say, He is the Provider of our Wants (though He also is).

Who knows that deep within our hearts, there is a struggle of the things that we need and the things that we want? And most of the time, the easier choice for us humans are those that we want. The scale is tipped in favor of our wants. When we get what we want, it is so easy to say THANK YOU LORD! But when we receive something that we know we need but somehow doesn't reconcile with what we want, we murmur for a while (oh okay, for me, that's the way it is).

When you go back to my list, you will notice some gifts that are so ordinary but this I tell you.. A month before Christmas, God was already dealing with me to buy those things for myself because truly, I NEED THEM. The Bag (you have to see my bags and you'll definitely say, OH YES! You got to buy one. NOW!). The Pillows (the only pillow I have is the pillow I had since elementary. If it's food, i'd say it's already rotten. Yulk!). The Towels (Ed Carla Mae, would you like to do the honor? haha!). The Blanket (Go ahead, Ed Carla Mae. You still have the floor. haha!).

I am so grateful that I understood what He was trying to teach me about the gifts I will be receiving for Christmas early on. And that made all the difference!

When I prayed for every gift, I prayed that God will give me that things that HE THINKS I need. I trust His heart wholly for every little gift that is on its way to my door.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Sometimes, when we receive something that are not on our visible (take note, we do have an invisible wish list) wish list, we often ask in a murmur, "Ngek.. Bakit ito? (Why this?) Hindi naman ito hiningi ko ah (This is not what I asked.)" What a very wrong heart, isn't it? And with the wrong heart, you can never be grateful for the things that you have.

But when you trust His heart, knowing that every little thing has come to fulfill a special purpose in your life, there is no room for murmuring or grumbling of any kind. Mas magaan sa puso, di ba?

So every time I receive something, it was so easy for me to say, Thank you! Never, as in perfectly NUNKA! did my heart find a difficult time thanking Him for another gift.

"In everything, GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

So easy. So easy. And what a delight to say it over and over again.

My eyes were focused on My Giver that every time a gift touches my hands, I could only say, THANK YOU! Imagine this.. You are looking up to heaven (or to your dad) with your palms up (like in worship) and when you feel a weight on your hands, you can only say, Wow! There's another. Oh, and another. And another. And another...

And what does He has to say on this?

"Delight in the Lord, and He will give You the desires of your heart." Psalms 34:7

I can only imagine what is next in there for me.............

Now, as I open my eyes, I go back to where I first started.

I will "Trust in the Lord with all (my) heart and lean not on (my) own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

So "In everything, (I will) GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for (me)!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Only then will I "Delight in the Lord, and He will give (me) the desires of (my) heart." Psalms 34:7

What a precious gift I received this Christmas, ayt?

MY ALL TO YOU, LORD!

Humbled by Your Majesty,

haze