Unopened gifts

 Several years ago I was reading someone's dream and while the details have been forgotten the basic idea stuck with me.

In the dream the person was taken to heaven and met by an angelic guide. The guide took the person to a beautiful building. The person's name was on the door of the building. The guide led the person inside and upon entering the person saw endless shelves filled with beautifully wrapped gifts of every size, shape, and color.

There were a few shelves which were empty, but the remainder of the building was full of gifts.

The person examined some of the gifts and discovered that each had his name on it. He asked his guide and was told that these gifts were ones he had failed to receive.

On further inquiry the guide informed him the empty shelves were those gifts that God gave him which required no effort or work on the man's part.

The guide told the man the remaining gifts had some requirement that needed to be met before they could be given.

The man examined some gifts more closely and saw tags that said "Pray and ask for it."

The guide taught that God has countless gifts that go undelivered because we don't ask for them.

When the man asked about the requirement and why he didn't receive some gifts he had asked for the guide replied that either what he asked for was not in his warehouse of gifts or it required more than just asking. The guide also taught that we need to learn to pray and ask God what gifts to pray for. 

The guide led the man to other shelves and showed him that prayer was only one of many possible requirements for gifts, and while some gifts would be given merely by asking others may have many additional requirements before they were given.

The key is to 

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

(Matthew 7:7-8)

Look back on your life at the talents you have, the skills and abilities you've developed, the gifts that you have opened and enjoyed. Some likely seemed to just come naturally to you. Others required more effort but likely yielded satisfaction or even joy for you and likely for others as well.

Are there other gifts that you may have considered, thought about, or nearly pursued?

We could stop there and lament the water that has past under the bridge of life. 

Or we can realize today is a new day. The past is done, gone. It's best to learn from but not dwell (live) on it. Today's thoughts, choices (decisions), and actions determine our tomorrows. Our past doesn't dictate the future. so we need to stop letting the past control us.

There is nothing to stop us from asking for new gifts, new opportunities, new experiences. There is nothing to prevent us--except ourselves--from asking God what it is we should ask for and to receive the spiritual guidance we need.

When we look back on future yesterdays, what do we want to remember, to have experienced? 

What gifts are we going to open like the exited child on Christmas morning?

And when we open those gifts, remember to be grateful for them. 

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