There was a knock on the door, piercing the silent atmosphere of our office environment.  She rose to open the door as she politely thanked the postman.  Making her way over to my desk, my coworker presented me with a white package, smiled, and said, “Here’s a present for you.”   Little did she know that the contents of this package was a very special present waiting for me to rip into.

This individual has long been known for his surprise gift-giving abilities.  Out of no where, a care package would appear for my daughter and myself.  At a particularly hard time in my life when I had just started going through the divorce proceedings, my friend reached across the miles and offered little gifts to bring a smile and warm my heart.  He never forgot my daughter or left her out.  In all of the packages that would arrive at my place of employment, there was always a little surprise inside for her, too.

Today as I opened the package, I smiled as cards fell out on my desk along with two books.  One in particular said on the front, “This card has no purpose.”   When you opened it, it said, “I sent it anyway.”  Ah, but here’s the thing.  The card may have seemed like it had no purpose whatsoever, but it clearly did as it brought a smile to my face as soon as I read it.

Another card had an actual hug inside complete with instructions that made me giggle.

And the last card said that it just wanted to brighten my day as I’ve brightened so many of theirs.  Awe!  What I especially loved about this heartwarming card was the bible verse on the left side.

Every time I think of you —

and I think of you often!  —

I thank God for you.  

1 Corinthians 1:4 

The Message

This individual was sent to me many years ago, almost 20 years now.  My heart is forever grateful for the genuine and true friendship that has been mine all of these years.

He has the gift of encouragement, and he reaches across the miles to turn the corners of my mouth into a wide smile.

I believe the gift of encouragement is his calling.

What is YOUR calling?