Every person, a gift?

I was in a meeting yesterday, and the leader of the meeting said (and I'm paraphrasing) that each person we encounter is bringing us a gift.  If we look hard enough and are open enough to the gift, then we will find it.  The person may not even be aware that he/she is giving us a gift, but the gift is given nevertheless.

What would life be like if we found a gift from God in each person we met, every day?  That's not just the people who are generous, or kind, or loving, or full of grace, but also the grumpy ones, the mean ones, the thoughtless ones.  What gifts do they give us?

Do we trust enough in God to look for those gifts?  Do we believe enough to have faith that God could touch us, even through the guy honking his horn at us on the interstate?  Do we see the gifts from the negative woman in the waiting room?  Are we open to receive gifts from God, even from unlikely places and people?

And -- and -- are we willing to let God touch other people -- even those who make us made, or who hurt us, or who we are angry with -- are we willing to let God touch them through us?  Can we be gift bearers to everyone? 

How does it feel to know that God is doing it, even if we don't like it?  What would we think if we knew how we have blessed the person who we argue with in our minds? 

Every person, a gift.  Can you watch for it and be thankful for it?  Can I?  And how will that change our relationship to that person?