When children are small, it is easy to make them happy. They are thrilled with every gift. A teddy bear, toy cars, a doll, candy and small toys in a stocking, they love everything. They are excited, happy and grateful.

As we get older we expect more. Sometimes we expect too much, and instead of being happy with our gifts, sometimes we are disappointed. We preferred more, or better, or something different, and the gift we received wasn't what we wanted.

Years ago an old woman in my church gave me a sweater she'd knitted for me. It was horrible. It was the ugliest sweater I'd ever seen. It wa...