What For Others Is A Given, For Others Is A Gift

I was speaking to one of the Doctors on the trip and he was sharing how for him the surgery medical trips are not a big deal.  He shared how speaking to someone, that person thought it was an incredible thing to do. I shared that even though he had been doing this for so long (his given), it was a gift for others.  I told him what happened today. Yesterday there was a baby whose lip was fixed. The parents had come from a far place, took them a day to get there and had spent a night sleeping on the terminal with their two twin boys. The baby had surgery yesterday. Today, the father came in to the office I was working. He told me they were leaving and wanted to thank me (I really didn't do anything for him, except do paperwork and be in the Operating Room). He approached me and gave me a hug.  That really humbled me. Again.  For this Doctor, it is a given. He does medical mission trips to help others. But for the family of that baby, it was a gift. A precious gift.  He will always be thankful and grateful.

How many things are for me a given. I can think of many.  They should be treated as gifts from God.  The Bible says that every good gift comes from the Father above (James 1:17).  My responsibility with these gifts is to be thankful and grateful. And to share them with others. This Doctor has a gift. He is sharing it.

God has given us a gift. The gift of eternal life in his son (Roman 6:23).  It is ours.  It is free. Once we take it we need to be thankful and grateful. We should share it.

What has God given you? What gifts are you sharing?

The baby who had lip surgery

My wife with the baby after the surgery

The Twins