A Suitable Gift?

Here's something I wrote in a 24/7 prayer room a couple of years ago. It's rather rough, I'm not including it because I think it's a masterpiece, but because God spoke to me and a couple of other people through it, and maybe other people could get something from it too.

I looked at Jesus' sacrifice for me on the cross. Not just his physical death, but the bearing of every single one of my sins.

I wanted to give him a gift.

I looked all around me. Everything seemed dull and broken and worn. I searched through my cupboards and scoured my shelves, seeking a treasure worthy of a king. I found nothing. Nothing at all that the king of the world could ever want or need.

I sighed. What could I do?

I decided to do the only thing I could do. I would go, without a gift, and thank him.

I came into the meeting-room of the ultimate king. He greeted me with a kiss, and asked, with a sparkle in his eye, what I had behind my back.

I KNEW he was expecting a gift.

I hung my head, and with tears overflowing, showed him my empty hands.

'I wanted to give you something special, something beautiful! But when I looked around, I didn't have anything. I'm sorry, I wanted -'

'Oh child!' He said, a smile on his face and tears running down his cheeks, 'your gift is beautiful! Don't you see? You've brought me a wonderful gift - your open hands, ready and willing to do my work. These hands are beautiful to me, because I crafted them with special tasks in mind - tasks only you can do!'

He held my hands in his own bleeding ones, and blessed them - to do his work in His world.