“Daddy, I made this for you.” There is nothing quite like getting a handmade gift from one of your children. The most common gift my children like to give is artwork—everything from colorful scribbles to detailed sketches, depending on their age and skill level. Before I became a father, I never could have fathomed the heartwarming joy that would come from such a gift. Even those scribbled-on scraps that would have been thrown away had I not been in the room are, to me, suitable for framing or tacking to the fridge and cherishing forever.
I like to think that Our Lord feels the same way about his own children. Many of us try and try to do God’s will, and to give him of ourselves, but what we have to offer him is wildly imperfect. Often it seems that all we can give is the spiritual equivalent of scribbled-on paper scraps.
But God is happy to receive even these, if they are born of a loving heart. He wants us to give ourselves completely over to him, for our own good, but he looks on us and our gifts with the kindness and love of a true Father. And whether they’re colorful scribbles or beautiful paintings, he will gladly frame them or tack them to the fridge.
(Paul Senz lives with his wife and children in Oklahoma. He works for Ignatius Press, and writes whenever and wherever he can.
