Have you ever been shopping for a gift and had no idea what the intended recipient needed or wanted? You didn’t know what size or color of sweater to buy or if the child’s toy was age-appropriate, so eventually you just threw your hands up in frustration and said, “I’ll just buy something! They’ll take it back anyway. Who cares?”

Gift giving is not always as easy or joyful as it should be. The fact of the matter is, even the best of us can’t give perfect gifts every time because we are flawed. We lack the insight and the knowledge, and sometimes the resources or even the willingness, to give the right gift. In this we are utterly different than God, for God is the giver of perfect gifts, and only perfect gifts. He is spontaneously good and overflows with generosity. He gives without expecting anything in return, and He doesn’t restrict His goodness based on what the recipients deserve. And no gift from Him ever needs to be returned.

Not only is God perfectly generous, but that generosity never changes. Even the best earthly parents need to be approached at the right time and in the right way because they can be inconsistent. Children learn to choose their moments. As a teen, I found it easy to read my father’s body language while he was on hold with the electric company and think, “I’m not sure now is the time to ask for two new tires for my car.”

With our heavenly Father, though, we don’t need to wonder if it’s ok to approach Him. He is neither fickle nor quick to anger. We can be confident that He will always act appropriately. We will never find Him unaware, unable, unavailable, or unwilling. Through Christ, He is accessible and responsive to our hearts’ pleas and our daily concerns.

We are children of God, and one of the ways our Father expresses His love for us in His perfect gifts to us. Therefore, a mark of every one of His children should be gratitude. If we know our Father’s character, how can we be anything other than grateful—even when His gifts are not the ones we would have chosen ourselves? So, be careful to count your blessings, daily. Remember that all good things are gifts from Him. Be sure to say to Him:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee …
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! [1]