Calla lily

In the past I have experienced that God answered prayers of blessing said by others for me, so I wanted to practice blessing others as well as to share this experience of blessing others with my fellowship group through our Christmas program on Dec 22.

As the theme of the entire program was Peace Unto You, each attendee was to think of a blessing of peace in advance and prepare a gift to go along for an unknown someone designated only during the meeting. When I sought words of peace to accompany my gift, the idea that peace is not anxious as inspired by the sixth chapter of the Book of Matthew came to mind. I quoted part of it on the Christmas card.

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

³¹ So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

Matthew 6

That evening, I found out that my gift would go to Timothy, a new friend who's celebrating Christmas as a Christian for the first time. I don't know how God would use my words of peace to bless Timothy, but I can tell you how God uses them to bless me. While Timothy received a gift and my blessing, I received a gift from Chris. Chris urged me to unwrap my gift, a painting of calla lily, as she explained the meaning behind. Using the same passage of Matthew 6:28-30, Chris conveyed the message of peace by noting that God would care even the flowers of the field and thus he would care much more of His children.

²⁸ See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you.

I believe that I came across the same passage as a giver and as a receiver because God wants me to hear it twice.