G - Giving

We are presented with many gift giving opportunities throughout the course of a year: birthdays, holidays (in excess), graduations, promotions, house warming parties, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers—you name it!  While it’s always fun to receive gifts, there’s something that I personally find more enjoyable: giving gifts.

A Powerful Quote

 “Whatever I do will be small in comparison to what I have been given.” This is one of my all time favorite quotes, and it was spoken by a fellow member of Northwood United Methodist Church, Ted Lammi. This quote speaks to me just as strongly today as it did when I first heard it in church nearly 8 years ago. For me, this quote is a reality check that puts all my blessings into perspective. When I think of everything I’d have to do to make up for every single gift, material or otherwise, that I have received throughout the course of my life, it makes me realized just how incredibly blessed I am. I have been given material gifts, monetary gifts, gifts of advice, support, service, and love, and so on, and it’s these gifts that have not only helped get me to where I am today, but that have shaped me into the person I am today. Knowing first hand just how powerful the act of giving can be makes me want to give back to others so they can experience the positive influence of giving in their lives as well.  

We All Need Help

Life is a crazy journey filled with different milestones and unexpected surprises. These milestones and surprises can be good and bad, which means that at some point in our lives we are going to need to be on the receiving end of gift giving, and that is totally ok. We all have periods of our life where we need to be thrown a life preserver to hang on to for dear life. There’s no shame in receiving help from others; sometimes it’s necessary to survive!  

We All Can Help

Even in our neediest moments when it feels like we have absolutely nothing to give, we are capable of giving if our hearts are open to doing so. I think many people feel that what they have to give isn’t enough, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Here’s why…

• Material vs. Meaningful: Giving doesn’t apply to monetary gifts or material items only. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the best and most meaningful gifts are the gifts that don’t cost us a dime. It’s the gifts we give freely—our time, attention, assistance, advice, love—that can make the greatest impact on someone’s life. Giving a compliment, holding the door for someone, offering to help carry someone’s groceries to their car, spending time with a friend or family member, volunteer work, mentoring, talking or listening to a someone in need, smiling at the frazzled parent of the toddler having a meltdown in aisle 5…it’s these small acts of giving that have the power to create a positive change in someone’s life, free of charge!

With all that being said, I don’t want you to think that I’m diminishing the value of material or monetary gifts. These gifts can be essential to one’s survival, and it’s these types of gifts that have actually made the greatest impact on my life in their own way. My parents have shown their love and support through gifts of my college education and my car (those are just two items from the infinite list of material/monetary gifts that I’ve received from my parents throughout the course of my life), but those monetary and material gifts wouldn’t mean nearly as much if the first gift they gave to me wasn’t the best and most important gift of all—their unconditional love. There is no possible way to put a price tag on unconditional love, and no material or monetary gift can replace it. Words can’t express how incredibly grateful I am for all my parents have given me, financially and otherwise. It’s through their gift of unconditional love that I am able to see just how powerful the act of giving really is.  

• All In or All Out: Giving doesn’t have to be an “all in or all out” kind of scenario. As I talked about above, even the smallest gift has the power to change someone’s life. Whether you help carry groceries to someone’s car or buy someone’s groceries, serve as an usher at church or tithe weekly—just give what you can, when you can. Any amount makes a difference.

You’ve Got The Power

I strive to be more like the woman in Mark 12:44, but I fall short every single day. “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." I know I have more to give, and while it isn’t exactly realistic to give away everything I have, it is realistic for me to strive to have a more giving, selfless heart. I challenge you to do the same! Never forget that you have the power to change someone’s life—all you have to do is give.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite way to give? Leave your answer in the comments section on Facebook or down below. J