Recently my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary…yes, rare in this day and age I know. It hasn’t always been easy or fun and the time flew by in the blink of an eye to be sure! My husband planned a weekend full of surprises for me all of which culminated at the family cabin in the Colorado Rockies with some but not all of our family in attendance (it is so hard to get everyone together anymore). We shared the last bottle of champagne left over from the case we opened at our wedding (my step-dad has kept it chilled consistently all these years so it was delightful!); we were presented with a cake and a few gifts too. One of the gifts was wrapped in a large and rather lumpy box that didn’t close quite right and much to my surprise inside was the silver tea service that had once belonged to my husband’s father’s parents! The tea set was given to my in-laws on their 25th anniversary and they then passed it on to us on ours.
Honestly I think I had only actually seen the set two or three times at most in the last 25 years. I believe at one time my grandparent-in-laws had it on a little table in the Boulder, CO home, but once it had been passed down to my in-laws it was wrapped in plastic then felt tarnish-proof bags, then put in a paper bag and then placed in a box that was stored above the cabinets in the laundry room, never to be seen again. The reason for this is that my mother in-law doesn’t like to polish silver and believes that the fancy stuff should be stored away until a special occasion. I could not disagree more…
Think about this for a moment, the Bible states in Ecclesiastes 5:19 NIV~
“Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil–this is a gift of God.”
That’s right…the ability to enjoy our possessions is a gift! Honestly I had never thought about enjoying possessions as a gift until in 2000 when I had been diagnosed with a rare and life threatening tumor. As it turned out the cure was almost as bad as the disease and when I emerged from the cloud of recovery and pain killers I began to understand the true meaning of that particular gift. Whatever it is…enjoy it!
As for the tea service, it is on display in tiny china cabinet in my tiny condo along with other beautiful things, not to be showy or pretentious, rather to enjoy these gifts that have been given to me. Actually I like to use the good china, silver, and crystal. I don’t hide those things…I use them and take good care of them. Did you know that the best way to store a quilt is to have it laid out on a bed? That’s right, don’t fold it up and stick it in a closet, use it…show it…love it!
The same can be said for the other gifts we have been given whether it is musical or artistic, in the kitchen or under a car, in the boardroom or cleaning the boardroom …we all have gifts given to us by our Creator and we need to use them not hide them! Don’t hide those gifts and pull them out only for special occasions or when you want to show off…use them every day!
By Paula Thompson
Paula Thompson-Bio
Paula was born in suburban Los Angeles and when, at the age of 16, her parents divorced she moved with her mother to the Denver, CO area. Having grown up with sunny days filled with roller skating, swimming, bicycling and going to the beach with friends she had known since birth, Colorado was a stark contrast but the change of seasons never failed to delight her and no matter where she lived Colorado remained in her heart as home.
At the age of 23 she married a childhood friend from her California days, although they had not stayed in contact throughout the years, they met again this time as adults through a mutual friend in Colorado. Her husband was an officer in the Navy and even when he went into the reserves they moved considerably over the years, two children a dog or two and typically a boat in tow.
Having been a young wife and having grown up fairly sheltered, Paula struggled while trying to maneuver the ‘food chain’ of military structure and more than once ended up in tears on the couch and wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into. Nearing the end of the first of what was supposed to be two tours on the island of Oahu, HI and after a particularly difficult few months she received news of her father’s illness and life as she knew it was about to change drastically. It was early 1995 and she began a fervent search to try to make sense of all the disorder in her life as she wonder why God would allow all of this “stuff” to come crashing down on her and why oh why did everyone expect her to take care of it. Somewhere in the midst of moving to San Diego and dealing with her father’s subsequent death, her two young children, and realizing that she had no choice but to step up to the proverbial plate she began to pray a specific prayer: “God I don’t like who I am, change me. Make be into a woman that is positive and encouraging to others…a woman others trust and want to talk to.” Knowing that it would not happen over night she was surprised by how fast she did start to change. People started to talk to her, really talk to her and listen.
In the following years she found herself faced with more military deployments and therefore distraught wives as well as her own health issues and family and marital issues. Yet she continued to pray the same prayer, everyday, knowing that God would need to shape her in order to change her.
Through daily struggles as well as major health issues she has learned to laugh and love and enjoy life so much more! Through trusting God and claiming Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God…” as her daily strength she has overcome what her doctors told her was impossible and finds herself daily trying to live up to the expectations that came with the answering of her prayer.
Paula currently lives and works in Colorado, as both a sign language interpreter and a photographer. Her "God Sized Dream" is to see her 'Tribute Shoots' take off and expand as a way to honor those women who have overcome great obstacles in their lives, to show their inner beauty and strength in an outward and tangible way.
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Recently my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary…yes, rare in this day and age I know. It hasn’t always been easy or fun and the time flew by in the blink of an eye to be sure! My husband planned a weekend full of surprises for me all of which culminated at the family cabin in the Colorado Rockies with some but not all of our family in attendance (it is so hard to get everyone together anymore). We shared the last bottle of champagne left over from the case we opened at our wedding (my step-dad has kept it chilled consistently all these years so it was delightful!); we were presented with a cake and a few gifts too. One of the gifts was wrapped in a large and rather lumpy box that didn’t close quite right and much to my surprise inside was the silver tea service that had once belonged to my husband’s father’s parents! The tea set was given to my in-laws on their 25th anniversary and they then passed it on to us on ours.