I’ll start off by just getting to the point. This last Christmas was actually rather hard to deal with. In preparation for the world race, I have been short on money so buying gifts for my family was not going to happen. I rather expected it to be a quite Christmas with no gifts for me and just a good time with my parents. Soon I started to notice many gifts piling under the tree and got rather confused. When it came time to open the presents, I got a lot of stuff including a new travel pack that I really didn’t need. I had been given one for free to use. I had talked to my parents about it before and said that I didn’t need a new travel pack but they got me one anyways. Honestly I felt like I didn’t deserve all the nice things I was getting and I felt disrespected because I had said I didn’t need a new travel pack. It was difficult for me to get excited and I didn’t give a proper thank you. It bothered me for a while until my mom called me out saying that something was on my mind and she wanted to know what. So I had a talk with my parents and explained to them how I felt about all the gifts I had received. The understood kind of where I was coming from but I then said to me that it is rather selfish of me to not be willing to accept what I had been given. I wanted to believe them but I was having trouble. I wanted to be the one that was right. These frustrating feelings began to diminish overtime and I was feeling okay. When I had mentioned to my teammates what had happened over Christmas and how I felt like all my support has been coming from my family, I honestly felt like a spoiled brat. At that, my teammate Thomas went into full encouragement and rebuke mode on me. He had talked about how growing up, his parents were not able to support him with gifts and other things as much and that he had to work hard to get where he was today. He then told me that my parents were right and that I was being selfish not to accept those gifts and they’re support. Thomas had compared my parents giving to how Jesus sacrificed his life so that I may be saved by Grace. So for me to not accept my parents help is like not accept the Grace that God gives. To have parents and the family that I have is a huge blessing. And that was a proper slap to my face.
So I wish to write this in an apology to my family but mostly my parents. Mom and Dad; I’m sorry for not accepting the grace that you both are giving me. I’m sorry for being a brat and not being grateful for all your support. You both love me so much and I wish I would have seen that these last few months. Please forgive my stupidity. I love you both so much and I could not have gotten here without your help and guidance. Praise the Lord that I can have parents like you.
Love,
Kurt Ray Davison
