The Silver Spoon

As most of you know I used to be a junior high school choral director. I’ve had opportunities to affect the lives of many students. But I had students affect my life as well. During the Christmas season I would receive numerous gifts. I can’t recall all the gifts or even bring up the name of the giver. Sure, some are probably hanging on our Christmas tree or sitting on a shelf somewhere. But there is one gift given by a student who had a lasting affect on me. It’s a gift I will always remember from a quiet 7^th grade soprano named Lisa Scott.

Lisa was very polite with a smile painted on her face. She was loyal to the choir but did not have the strongest voice. Lisa never had an enemy but did not hang out with the popular crowd. She did not wear the nicest of clothes. One could tell that her family had little money. But that did not stop her from giving me a gift.

It was the last day of school before the Christmas break. The students were excited after their successful Christmas concert the night before. I received numerous gifts throughout the day. After the last bell rang Lisa Scott came by my office to give me a present. She waited to see if I would open it. I tore off the paper to find a silver spoon. This spoon was large with an “S” inscription on the handle. It was used and very old. It did not have much shine left.

Lisa smiled and went to catch her bus. I closed my office door and stared at that spoon, realizing that she had given me something that had belonged to her family for some time. She did not have money to buy me a gift. Instead she chose to give me a treasure marked with the family initial on the handle. This was the greatest gift I had ever received from a student.

As we give our gifts this Christmas let us not forget about our gift to God, our Father. He doesn’t need new or polished silver. He just wants our hearts with the inscription of who we are. Just like the silver spoon.