Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17 NIV).

 While we waited for the birth of our twins, my husband and I chose two names for boys and two names for girls in case we had two boys or two girls.  Instead, we had one of each. The other two names that we’d chosen were never used since serious complications after the birth of our twins led to a reluctant decision that our family was complete.

In 1998 as our daughter and her husband, Matthew, awaited the arrival of their first child, my husband reminded me that if Angi had been a boy, her name would have been Matthew.  Although I had forgotten this, I felt so blessed that in spite of the difficulties we had encountered, God had nevertheless given us our Matthew. The following day my Upper Room devotional talked about a little boy named Matthew who was told that his name meant “gift from God.” 

I thanked God each time I watched Matthew, our gift from God, tenderly caring for Angi and our beautiful new granddaughter, Joy, knowing that this gift is, indeed, from Him.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the joy of recognizing your gifts. Amen.

This devotional was written long ago and published in my book, Homespun Faith. However, I am no less grateful for Matthew, our gift from God, today than I was when it was written. As I watch him provide selfless, loving support for Angelyn as she wrestles with the heart-breaking, gut-wrenching experience of watching her twin suffer the ravages of cancer, I am thankful once more for our gift from God.

Devotional adapted from Homespun Faith, Reflections from the Seasons of Life, copyright 2014 Daisy Beiler Townsend. Available as paperback or ebook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Xulon Press. There are Links on this website on the Where to Buy Homespun Faith and Sarah’s Legacy page.  Locally at Fresh Grounds, M & M Grocery, Leana’s Books, Penn Alps in Grantsville, Maryland, or from me 724-373-8445.)