“The gift of problems.” That is the title of one of the chapters in The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall. I was intrigued, because we generally view problems as something we want to avoid, not as a gift. As it turns out, the main character discovers some of the most important life lessons by either going through his own problems or learning from the problems of others. Each lesson was something that he may not have learned had he not been faced with adversity. Isn’t that the truth? A problem can be a means to an end, or it can be the beginning of a new understanding. It really can give you a different outlook on life.
It led me to some deep self-reflection. What problems had I faced this week? This month? This year? Through life in general? Have I handled them well? Did I see them as a stumbling block or a learning experience? And maybe more importantly, how has my family seen me handle those problems? Have I done it well? Have I set an example for them of what TO do, or what NOT to do? My guess is that it’s probably a little of both.
I flipped through the other chapters. The gift of work, the gift of money, the gift of friends, the gift of learning, the gift of problems, the gift of family, the gift of laughter, the gift of dreams, the gift of giving, the gift of gratitude, the gift of a day, the gift of love, and finally, the ultimate gift. Every chapter represents a month when the main character is challenged to find the ‘gift,’ or lesson, in each one of those topics in order to inherit ‘the ultimate gift’ at the end. Isn’t that something all of us can benefit from learning sooner rather than later? I ended up doing this as a class novel. Every time the character is challenged, I challenge my students to do something similar Their homerooms are competing against each other for a surprise ‘ultimate gift’ from me at the end. It is so fun to see what they come up with!
Then I took it a step further and started the same 12 week challenge with my family. Instead of one challenge a month, we are doing one a week. If everyone completes each challenge and gets it approved by the group, my ultimate gift to them will be a surprise trip at the end. For example, for the gift of work challenge, they had to do one paid job and two unpaid jobs and then tell how they served others in doing so. For the gift of money, they had to take some of the money they earned the week before and spend it on someone in need. For the gift of friendship, they had to discuss the values of a true friend, and then do at least two things to be
that kind of friend to someone that week, etc. We are right in the middle of it now, and as each challenge comes and goes, I see them really paying attention to people around them. They have been more intentional about putting others first, or at least more intentional about noticing their needs. It has presented a great opportunity to reflect on the ‘gifts’ all around us in day-to-day life that we take for granted. It has led to some very productive conversations that we probably would not have had otherwise.
I can’t wait for both my students and my family to complete the challenge so I can surprise them with their ultimate gift! I wonder if that’s how God feels about us? Our physical death is sad and defeating to us, but not to God. He’s probably just waiting in anticipation for us to learn our lessons and complete our challenges here on earth so he can surprise us with our ultimate gift of heaven.
If any of you are looking for a fun, family activity for the summer, give this challenge a try! You can make it be anything you want, and it can be really fun to think of an ultimate gift that the family will enjoy doing together. If nothing else, you will be given the precious gift of time well-spent together. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Have a blessed week, friends!
