I have a pair of earrings that are made out of pink and white seashells and they are very precious to me—more than any pair of earrings I have owned.  I value them so because these earrings were hand-crafted by my most cherished friend.

Sometimes the best gifts in life have little to do with the gift itself but more with the one who gave it.  God gives us many gifts.  They come in the form of a talent, a good job, and a warmly lit sky at sunset.  There is much that God wants to bestow on us but we must believe and wait for His timing because every perfect gift requires faith and more so patience.

A good friend is hard to find but this too is a gift from God.  In college, I often wanted friends to share quality time and laughter with but among all the students on campus, there was none who feared God.  Though I held my integrity in the first few years, my loneliness caused me to feel desperate for close friends.  I therefore found myself tolerating perverse humor and cursing from my fellow peers.  Besides these little flaws, the friends I ended up making were overall thoughtful, caring, and fun.  In my prayers and in my heart though, I knew it was not right for me to spend so much time with these new friends—and ironically my loneliness grew worse.  I therefore begged God to give me strength to let go of these friends.

It is in God’s will to grant us a good friend, but while we wait for one, we must ask: what does God want me to learn while I wait?  When we focus too much on receiving the gift, we lose trust in God and become frantic to receive it in any manner and from anyone but this gift is neither good nor perfect.  What then is this gift worth if it causes us to stumble and if the one who gives it did not love us but instead sought our harm? 

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:16-17)

Questions for Reflection
1.  What is one thing that we want so badly right now? Is it God’s will?
2.  If indeed it is God’s will, are we willing to wait for His timing to receive it?