"The Gift"

Today, April 25th is Veronika’s Birthday. For the past couple of weeks, we have been trying to figure out what to do to celebrate it properly. We talked about a trip to Quebec City, Canada, but figured we would wait until the weather grew a bit warmer later in the season.

We saw that Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko was fighting on April 25th in New York City, at Madison Square Garden against American Bryant Jennings for the World Heavy Weight Boxing Championship.
Believe me, we are not boxing devotees by any stretch of the imagination, but we feel a certain affinity with Klitschko being from Ukraine, as is my wife. Having been there with her a couple of times, the country of my wife’s birth has become very special to my heart. We tend to love those things which have “given” us our greatest joys. Out of Ukraine, my beloved Veronika came.

So we went online to see how much a ticket for the ‘Big Event’ was going for. $250.00 for the least expensive seats quickly turned our thought to alternatives. Could we purchase Pay-Per-View, Would there be some sports bar around offering a “Dinner & Fight Night Special?” We decided to play it by ear, and make a decision closer to the fight.

Veronika works for a wonderful husband and wife, caring for their little girl of almost 3 years old. They have been such a blessing to Veronika and me, and their daughter is the most precious little girl you will ever see.

When Veronika arrived to work on Thursday morning (April 23rd ) they asked if she had “Big” plans for her birthday weekend. She shared with them our inquiry into the fight and our choice of viewing options. They must have thought we were a bit odd, not being fight fans, and still wanting to experience such an event.
Friday morning I receive a phone call from Veronika at 7:37 AM. That’s odd I thought, as she just arrived at work for a 7:30 shift. After saying hello, she told me that the decision was made to where we would watch the fight. Of course, I’m thinking a sports bar in New York City was recommended, and maybe reservations were made. She then proceeded to tell me that when she arrived at work, her employers had an envelope for her. They told her to open it, she did and found two tickets:

World Championship Boxing
Wladimir Klitschko vs Bryant Jennings

Madison Square Garden
Saturday APR 25, 2015 7:00PM

To say we were floored by their generosity is a great understatement. What a very unnecessary, but most appreciated act of kindness they have lavished upon Veronika and me.
So tonight we will celebrate Veronika’s Birthday by going to the fights,
at the “Mecca of Boxing”, “The World’s Most Famous Arena” Madison Square Garden.

It’s more than just a boxing match. It’s celebrating a God-given heritage. It’s recognizing an accomplishment of someone from an underdog nation becoming a world champion. It’s experiencing the kindness and generosity of God through the events and people He selects to be a blessing to others.
We are very grateful to my wife’s employers, but we know that:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
James 1:17 (NKJV)