The box sat outside her front door. Tucked neatly in the corner of the doorway. A potted plant pulled close to distract others attention. Yet, in view by those walking by.

I passed her doorway daily and after a week, then two, now going on three – the box remained, half-hidden yet visible.

The amazing thing, she was home! She walked through that door daily. Yet, the box sat untouched, perhaps even unnoticed.

Week 3 came and passed and finally one afternoon while passing the doorway I noticed the box was gone!

She had finally opened the door and claimed her treasure.

We all have unclaimed, unopened, often ignored treasures waiting in our lives.

The taken-for-granted hug from our spouse, a friend, a stranger sensing our needs – a treasure ignored.

An unaccepted offer of help when our days are packed to the brim and spilling over – a treasure unopened.

The disregarded plea for forgiveness – a treasure unclaimed.

It took her more than 3-weeks before she noticed the box at her doorstep. Her busy distracted life kept her from seeing, from acting, from receiving.

There are times in our lives when our relationship with Jesus can feel like a box sitting on an unattended doorstep. We are busy people, life gets complicated, time gets tight. Yet, Jesus waits patiently for us to notice the gifts He offers – unconditional love, undeserved grace, and amazing mercy.

Unintentionally, we can treat his gifts as misplaced boxes, placing them in the corner of our closets, in the shadows of our basements. We walk around them, occasionally pushing them aside to make room for our own dreams, our own desires, our own plans.

Eventually, we forget they are even there.

Unless we are willing to receive and open Jesus’ gifts, we are destined to stumble through our lives wondering if this life is as good as it gets. We are destined to a life that disappoints; a life that is never complete.

His precious gifts sit in a box, a gift unopened, while we search for more.

In the book of Revelations, John writes to a church that had become satisfied in their personal riches, comfortable in their self-sufficiency. Yet, they ignored God’s invitation for relationship. They had lost their passion for Him.

John writes,

Look! I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me.

Revelation 3:20 Living Bible (TLB)

We must be careful that we don’t become so comfortable with the routine of our lives, so overwhelmed by the burdens we carry, prideful of our personal accomplishments, or complacent by the head knowledge we have about Jesus, that we stop searching for Him.

We stop longing for relationship and intimacy.

Jesus stands at the doors of our hearts and knocks. He will never demand that we open the door. He will never force us to open the box and receive His gifts.

He will wait, letting us go about our daily activities until finally we pay attention and turn to Him.

Sisters, I encourage you to take the time to open your hearts and claim the treasures Jesus has for you, a gift freely given.

Please remember,

He loves you.

You are his daughter.

You are his BeLOVED.

Blessings,

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