The Etravagance Of The Father

My Emma had a birthday party yesterday. As she was opening gift after gift my brother mentioned what I had just been thinking, that was a lot of stuff she had been given! He was right, it was a lot for one little girl! Later, that got me to thinking about the joy of gift giving, the meaning behind it, how much is enough or how much is too much? Not certain of all the answers something struck me. What an extravagant father we have in God! How much He give us that is absolutely not necessary. More than 10,000 species of flowers, over 10,000 species of trees, approximately 20,000 species of butterflies,20,000 species of fish, 6,000 species of reptiles, 9,000 birds, 1,000 amphibians, and 15,000 species of mammals. The list goes on and on. God doesn't just give us what we need to survive, He saturates our world with beautiful, wonderful gifts! He actually wants us to feel the pleasures of His gifts.
This doesn't quite answer my question of how much is too much in a numerical sense but it does remind me of an important fact. It is a good thing to give others joy and to enjoy the gifts we have been given. No, I wouldn't want to 'spoil' my child into thinking that material objects should be our focus in life but neither will I begrudge them the joys of simple things and experiences. I will make room for the new and exciting things by getting rid of some of the older, less exciting ones. So what if the excitement doesn't last for the entire year, at least they are able to feel the joy in a single special moment.One of the best things about having young children is being able to see the world through their eyes. Having a small child is like seeing the world for the first time, and really,truly seeing it.
Life is made up of many small moments. Our greatest memories of childhood are often small things to the adults involved. We need to remember the value of wonder !
We go through this life in such a rush that we don't notice even a fraction of the bounty and beauty that God has put here for us to enjoy. I want my family to really see God in His creation. Slow down, drink it in and wonder at Gods blessings, His gifts.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning."
James 1:17 (KJV)