Unlike Bridal Shower Gifts

It pained me to crop off all the smiling faces in the photos belowbut for respect of privacy I must! Photo credit; Bridal shower hosts-my sister and niece Last night I attended a bridal shower for my nephew's fiancée.Each gift she opened was different but all were thoughtfullychosen and wrapped for the bride-to-be to open,and she did with smiles of delight, excitement and thankfulness!It reminded me of a tidbit of conversation with my mother-in-law yesterdayas we talked of the day when we are 'presented'back to God, all in our different wrappings,but unlike bridal shower gifts, when God tugs at/opens the diverse wrappingswhat remains will be the same in every 'gift';The Living Soul returned to God,who so thoughtfully and lovingly 'chose' us,designed/created us so differently and, just as we carefully choose gifts for those we loveHe too chose a gift for those He so loves!!Knowing we are born sinners God provided aneternal and universal gift/pardon for all who believe in Him. For God so loved the world thatHe gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believes in Him will not perishbut have everlasting lifeJohn 3:16 Whatever shapes our share of trials, disappointments and griefs,God loves us with an unfailing love and justice!How His face will beam as He welcomes His Bride in theGreatest Wedding of all Time;all honor and glory and praise will be for Himwho, through His Redeeming gift purchased Soul's salvation!!To try and grasp the fulness of his love is mind-blowing!! No matter what befalls, God knowsBeneath the Wrapping that we seeHis gift of boundless love bestowsMore than enough for you and me God's love no thought can comprehendHe weaves time's ephemeral gauze  That drapes The Day when all will bendBefore WHO IS, WILL BE and WAS How carefully He fashioned usBeneath the fleeting part we seeGod instilled the mysterious, Profound pulse of eternity The pride and ignorance of foolsBlasphemes/rejects the Name, mighty to saveThey do not fear the One who rulesBeyond the tissue of the grave God is not mocked; His love is justWhere mercy sparkles from morn's flask He grants, to humble faith-hope-trustBeyond what we can think to ask No matter what befalls, God knowsBeneath the Wrapping that we seeEach gifted moment overflowsWith shimmers of eternity © Janet Martin Eph.2:1-10As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.