THE GIFT OF LIFE COMES WITH RIBBONS

"Life is hard...!" Virtually every philosophy and theology text tends to start off with that premise. This is not to say life is not a staggering gift of love from God, but it is to say the gift must be held high like a treasure while we cross the sharp rapids of daily existence.

Charlie Brown -- a philosopher-theologian himself -- explained it this way "Life wouldn't be so hard if just weren't so daily!" But day-by-day-by-day is the only way the gift comes to us. It's not a one-ribbon affair. It's been precisely wrapped inside many ribbons each challenging us to slip them off one by one before we can fully appreciate the gift itself.

For instance, there are tightly-tied ribbons like all those daily lessons that we first have to learn from infancy to childhood to maturity. Each calls for some serious effort. However, as we learn to manage each, the gift then has still other ribbons to be mastered. Like learning how to survive the disappointments, value the successes, overcome the failures, grow with the accomplishments and most of all defy the fears. Each time we do, we get a ribbon closer to the gift.

Throughout history,people have found many different ways of unwrapping their gift. Monks do it in monasteries... academics on campuses...scientists in labs...mothers in homes...physicians in ORs....politicians in office. How do you do it? Or, for that matter, how often have you even thought about how you do it? If you're like most of us, you may simply tear into the package like a giggly kid at Christmas.

Trouble with that is that in our hurry, we may miss the beauty of the wrappings. Ignore the delicacy of the packaging. Even play with what we find so quickly and furiously, we use it all up before we've really learned what it was all about.

Now maybe kids at Christmas can get away with such extravagant enthusiasm. But not the rest of us. Not when the gift is the gift of our life itself. We need to stand back, size up, and better cherish the prize. For we only get one a lifetime. Given this fact, it behoove us to do a much better job with it than we have been so far.

Of course I can't speak for you. But speaking for myself, I intend to try a little harder. Starting the next church I attend, the next prayer I offer, and especially the next birthday I'm fortunate enough to celebrate....!