Father's Gifts

My dad loved to give gifts.

I remember the year he gave my mother a music box for Christmas
and she opened it up and listened to its' melancholy tune for
a few brief moments and then quickly closed it,
because it made her cry.

I saw the familiar box when we were going through Mother's things
and I asked if I could have it.
"I remember when Daddy gave this to her," I told my sister.
She was glad that I wanted it but she warned me that it
was broken. I didn't care. If it played
'The Blue Danube Waltz' right then,
it would have made me cry too,
and there was enough of that going on already.

But tomorrow, I am going to take it to a jeweler
with the hopes he'll work his magic
and restore the blessed gift.

My dad was also generous with me.
If I was going out the door to spend some time with friends,
he would ask,"Do you have money in your wallet?"
If I said, "No," he would whip out a 10 dollar bill and give it to me,
saying,"You should always have money in case you need gas."

Sometimes, I would get up early,
and he would share a quarter of his scrambled egg
sandwich with me.
Sometimes, I would stay up late,
and he would share pieces of his sizzling broiled steak.
It paid to rise up early
and stay up late.
I liked being around this generous, cheerful man.

My Dad loved Christmas.
He gave great gifts.
Bikes, musical instruments, toys,
games, clothing, cash.

I thought of him today when I was reading about Caleb,
in the book of Joshua, chapter 15, verses 18 and 19.

Caleb had made an important announcement to the
male population of the children of Israel.
"He who attacks Kirjath Sepher (a city) and takes it,
to him I will give my daughter, Achsah,
as his wife."

Caleb had a brother, named Kenaz,
who had a son, Othniel.

Othniel 'took' Kirjath Sepher
so Achsah, became his wife.

I know. I know.
She was his first cousin.
I was telling this story to Susan
and she thought that was gross
and she continued the story by saying,
"And then they had retarded kids."

I tried to explain it scientifically...
blah, blah, blah,...environment was pure
back then...blah, blah, blah,...
but I think she was still grossed out.

Anyway,
Achy talked Othy into asking her father for a field.
And Caleb gave it to them.

Then she came to her father, riding a donkey.
She got down off the donkey
and her father asked,
"What do you wish?"
(It reminded me of my father's question,
"What do you need?")
So, Achsah answered,
"Give me a blessing;
since you have given me the land in the South,
give me also springs of water."

'So Caleb gave her the upper springs
and the lower springs.'

I read a number of verses today,
but that little one there
delights my soul.

What good is land if it has no water?

My friend, what 'land' has God given to you
for an inheritance?
Follow Achsah's lead, get off your 'donkey,'
and ask your Father for the blessing of springs of water.

Then your herds will have water to drink
and the seeds you plant will grow
and your sheep will have green pastures to graze in.

Keep it simple.
Pray, "Oh my Father,
you have given us this land.
Give us springs of water also."

Caleb was an earthly father.
And he gave good gifts to his daughter
in a culture that did not always
give an inheritance to its' daughters.

Jesus said it this way:
"If your son asks for bread from his father,
will his father give him a stone?
Or if he asks for fish,
will he give him a snake?
Or if he asks for an egg,
will he give him a scorpion?
If you then,
being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask Him!"

If Caleb could give his daughter land
and then give her an additional gift of
water when she asked for it,
will not God our Father,
who has given us the land-
also give us upper and lower springs
as well?

Will He not give the Holy Spirit-
the well of Living Water
springing up into everlasting life,
flowing out of our innermost being-
to those who ask Him?

The land will yield its' increase
when there is abundance of water.

And Jesus simply says, "Ask."