Not My Present - The gift of Trust

This is our little Sadie Rose

For some unknown reason, she is terrified of tutu's.  Mikayla made her one for Christmas.  She worked very hard on it and made one for both Sadie and Lillie.  Lillie loved hers.  She likes dancing and dressing up, but Sadie opened that box and told her dad, "Not my present!".  She meant it too!  She would not have anything to do with that tutu the entire time she was here.  She would not put it on, she would not take it out of the box, she would not even pick it up.  I am not sure what that tutu represents in her mind, but whatever it is, there is no changing it for her.  It could be such an wonderful gift for her if she would just try it.

I think that sometimes, the gifts we get from our Heavenly Father can be a lot like Sadie's Tutu.  We just can't see the blessing of the gift.  We don't realize what it could mean to us.  We don't want it.  This gift could be anything.  It could be something that seems bad, but really works out to be the best thing ever.  It could be a new job, a move, a lost love.  It could pretty much be anything that has or will happen to us.  How many of us receive a gift that we just don't want?  We do anything we can to get out of it.  How about a calling?  How about a trial?  Sometimes we just can't see the blessing because we are so busy looking at it with our fear. 

For this week, I am going to talk about some of the gifts that we might receive from our very loving Heavenly Father.  I am going to talk about blessings, often in disguise, but blessings nevertheless.  I am going to talk about tutu's in our lives. 

So, my challenge today is to look back and think of some things that have been a real challenge for you.  Something that, at the time, seemed very hard, but has worked out to be exactly what you needed. 

For me, the thing that I really struggle with has been simple trust.  Trusting in the Lord, knowing that He is in control and being willing to do what He asks.  That has all been difficult for me.  Nothing illustrates that principle quite as well as my move up to my mountain home. 
It was something that I thought I wanted, until the time came to actually do it.  Having to go through way too much stuff, having to give so much away, having to find a house, having to change jobs, having my husband be unemployeed, leaving the grown children and moving over two hours away from the majority of my grandchildren.  All of that has been hard.  However, I have always known, from the very beginning, that it was exactly what I was supposed to do. 
Our house sold in a month when the market was not selling homes, someone walked into the Post Office and offered me their house at a price that made it impossible to refuse, John didn' work for three years, but it was exactly what the girls needed at the time.  My grandchildren call, visit, and we go to them.  It is not as good as I would like it, but it is better than it was when I was working 12 to 14 hours every day.  I have discovered that I still have way too much stuff!  I love my job and can't believe that I did not do this so much sooner! 
I have learned, that sometimes the hardest things of all turn out to be the very best things for us.  The blessing of trust is a wonderful gift to be given.  We learn best when we learn to trust Him and believe that He will help us.  My own testimony has grown, deepened, and matured as I have put my life under His care.  It is not easy, but it is so very worth it. 

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.

I just wish He didn't trust me so much.” 

Mother Theresa of Calcutta