Josiah Road

The Perfect Gift

Mother’s Day comes every year, and yet I still seem to forget it every time. This, however, has not always been the case. When I was five years old, I was determined that my mom would have the best Mother’s Day ever, and what could be a more perfect gift than breakfast in bed? Since my younger brother and I didn’t want mom to do any work on her special morning, we decided to make her breakfast the night before and leave it beside her bed, just in case she woke up before we did. We toasted and buttered some bread and laid it out on a plate with love. We filled a bowl with Cheerios and tenderly poured in the milk. We garnished the spaces with some fruit, topped it off with a cold glass of orange juice, and proudly brought it to her room. I can imagine the look on my mom’s face when her two sons gave her strict orders not to eat their masterpiece until morning! As the Cheerios swelled to the size of quarters, she was left to brainstorm how she could fool us into thinking she ate and enjoyed our gift by morning. Luckily, we weren’t too hard to fool, but I never understood why my dad never stuck around the house when Father’s Day came…

I look back now and laugh at our pathetic attempt at a gift, but my mom fondly remembers that day. I doubt she can remember what I gave her on Mother’s Day last year (I know I can’t!), but she can recall every detail from 18 years ago! Why? Because she saw the heart behind the gift. She saw her sons expressing their love in the best way they knew how, and that left a lasting impression on her.

God cares more about the condition of our heart than He does for the things we do. Hosea 6:6 says, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Many times I find myself distracted by the things I do for God and completely miss out on God Himself. I become so busy with activities that I forget why I am doing them in the first place. Is it just religious activity? Am I trying to please God by my actions? What can I even give a God who has everything? I can give Him my love. All of our efforts to please God are futile if our hearts are not right. My youth pastor once said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” It’s a tongue twister, but he’s right! The main thing is love. If we truly love God with all our heart, our actions will follow, and they will not be empty. We must ask ourselves, are we busy loving God, or are we just busy?