Gifts to One Another

by Christopher Martinus

A tree’s leaves eventually fall off. Paint chips off. Concrete cracks and breaks apart. Metals rust. Appliances break. In several cases, there is one way to prevent this: preserving. Often this involves not using the object at all, quite contrary to the very reason the object exists.

For all that is used, everything has its time. All things that are used according to their purpose will surely interact with other things. They impact and affect each other, and sooner or later they will start wearing down. Reparation or renewal is needed.

We can see that, even in created objects, a Godly truth pertaining to our lives, our existence, and our purpose is clearly shown: we are meant to be gifts to one another. We are meant to give our lives wholly and totally to another instead of hoarding as much of it as possible for ourselves. God creates us with specific purposes in mind. He has a place for each of us. Think of leaves eaten by insects. Think of entire food webs, even. Indeed several organisms can “stand on top” as apex predators, but without any of their prey, could they ever be there? And these predators too have their time; once they die, do they not decompose and become resources for the producers?

Wherever our place is in God’s grand plan for all of us, we are called to be total and whole gifts to another. We know we will die. We know that it makes no sense to hoard things, knowing that God is ultimately sovereign over our lives (Luke 12:16-21). But we know too that, as our time here passes, God is already preparing something even greater for us in His kingdom. Even now, He heals and renews us as we encounter the hardships in life that knock us down. As we give ourselves to another, the Lord refills us with His graces so that we may constantly be gifts to one another.

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