Still thinking about Christmas and gifts these few days, and came across one of the most tragic rejections of a gift: Numbers 13, when 10 of the 12 spies came back from the land that God had wanted to give them and said, "No go!"

GRASSHOPPERS, ANY?

They saw the land flowing with milk and honey

But chose to focus on the ‘too strong”, “too many.”

They heard the Voice who led by day and by night
But listened only to the song:“We’re grasshoppers in our own sight.”

Instead of crying to Him who called from heaven,

They complained, and cringed under defeated giants.
Giants that plunder dreams with no power,
And rain on vision with silent passing showers.

Giants that steal our passion for faded glory,

And hold us prisoners to yesterday’s stories.
That make us forget we, too, have dreams; and keep us living
For other man's imaginations - that we can’t fulfill or believe in.

If God has given you a vision, a dream -  

That you can see clearly even when you’re not asleep;
Starve your fears, seek hope, silence the doubters -
Remember: without dreams we live as shadows, with no faith we miss the mountains.