I feel I always come up miserably short.   A tie, a garden tool, it always seems impossible to come up with the right expression!
 

So soon, I jumped right in and over the years I have given him batteries and batteries accessories.  One year I marveled at my stroke of genius to give him a rechargeable set.

I carried on this gift battery tradition to my husband. I guess it was then I realized what had been going on all these years. Despite my best intentions, it was really kind of comical, and as I look back on it I felt pretty silly!

Amazingly, they were always equipped with batteries for my Chatty Cathy Doll, Double AA’s for Kyle’s gameboy, D’s for the portable DVD player and  C batteries for Kari’s Baby Funcshuns.  Baby Funcshuns would perform seven bodily functions when her batteries were fresh!
 

Each holiday I have seen these guys unwrap the latest in battery technology and appear to be delighted. All these years these fellows have graciously received these gifts, while unselfishly supplying the children with moments of fun and delight.
 

It reminds me of our vain attempts. We offer God, The Father small packs of our own energy. I am sure that God, the source of all power and might is amused. But as a gracious Dad, he smiles waiting to give it back  when we need it most.

Actually, our heavenly father is always giving.  Of course the most precious gift of life is life eternal. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
 

The Father gave, knowing that our attempts  to give back would be poor at best! He only asks for our heart, our time, love and attention.

So this year the gift quandary is settled. Yeah, the battery tradition will probably continue, but this year I think we should accompany the gifts with a resolve to give more of our time, love and attention to not only our earthly Fathers, but more importantly to our heavenly Father.

After all, God gives the best gifts! James 1:17  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

In His Time,
Kathy Walters Burnsed