Gifts for Mom and God

Today is my mother’s 95^th birthday and I have no idea what to give her. It’s not that she needs a gift or even wants one, but I want to give her something that will make her happy. She has told us many times not to give her anything. Still, a 95^th birthday is something special and it should be celebrated. I googled “gifts for 95-year-old mother.” Suggestions included picture frames, monogrammed towels, and knick-knacks just like the ones my mom is trying to get rid of.

I stopped my bike in the middle of a grove of hundred-year-old oaks. High above me, a canopy of leaves shut out the sky. Spanish moss dripped from the branches and ferns grew on many of the trees’ strong arms. The rising sun shone through gaps in the leaves and made the damp moss sparkle.  The grove seemed to shut out all but the sounds of nature. I stood in quiet awe. Then God spoke to me. He said, “I can build my own cathedrals.” The truth of that statement struck me as I realized that my favorite places of worship are the ones that look most like the ones God made.

This reminded me of King David. After he had built a palace for himself, he noticed that “God’s House” was only a tent. David decided that God should have a house as nice as his and that with his extra wealth, he could build one. It was a nice offer, but God declined. Oh, he did allow David’s son, Solomon, to build a temple, but God never asked for one. Just like I want to give something to my mother, David wanted to somehow give God something he didn’t have. But what would that be? What God wanted was David’s heart, and when David gave it, God built a temple there. God can build his own cathedrals, and his favorite building material is human hearts. 1 Peter 2:4-5 tells us, “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 

Those who know my mother know that she is one of God’s most beautiful cathedrals. She gave her heart to God long ago, and God set up residence there. She gets to be 95, a gift not many receive. My mother needs and wants nothing else. Still, I want to give, and I know what she wants most. She wants her son’s heart to become another cathedral.

My son, give me your heart
     and let your eyes delight in my ways.
                                   Proverbs 23:26

Do you want to give something to God that will make him happy? Joy emanates from God and surrounds him. Nothing you give can either add or subtract from his joy. You have nothing he needs or wants except your heart.