Wear and Tear by Julie Short

I took the beautiful wrapped box and carefully opened the gift. Inside the wrapping lay a beautiful handmade pillow. I smiled at my Grandma and said “Thank you so much!” I hoped she would know how much I would cherish the pillow she had made with love.

I slept with the pillow every night. I took the pillow with me on all my overnight trips. Many, Many months passed and I went to visit my grandma. I brought my cherished pillow with me. I didn’t understand the look on my Grandmas face when she saw the tattered and torn Pillow. I thought she would be able to tell how much I valued and cherished the pillow by how I used the pillow, but that is not the look my Grandma gave me.

Twenty plus years have passed. I now realize what my Grandma may have thought when she saw the tattered and torn pillow. I now understand the disappointed questioning look on my grandma’s face as she stared at the pillow. “Why didn’t you cherish my gift? Why didn’t you take care of the pillow keeping it clean and protecting it from daily ware?

Oh how I wish I could tell her “Grandma I did cherish the pillow, I loved it that is why I used it.” If we cherish, value a gift what do we do with it? Do we use it or put it away? How do we cherish God’s word? Do we put the bible up, careful not to allow wear and tear to touch the precious gift? Do we use it every day, carry it with us always and strive to live by God’s spoken word?

Sometimes I feel tattered and torn. I often look at my life like grandma did my pillow. I question why such wear and tear, why such hardship? Why was I not cherished?

Now I finally see:

“Oh how God loves and cherishes me!”

“Oh how God Loves and cherishes you!”

All for the glory of God our Father!