A Gift of the Heart

"For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has — not according to what one does not have."(2 Corinthians 8:12)

Bonnie didn’t accept babysitting jobs the year after her brother died, and so as Christmas approached, she was feeling short of funds. Yet when the big day arrived, each of us received a gift, a memorable gift from her heart. My gift was a hand-painted recipe box. It was lovely, but when I opened it, I found the real gift inside. She had spent hours and hours transferring all my recipes from food-spattered, dog-eared scraps of paper to neatly printed, pristine cards. What a labor of love!

I’ve been given many gifts over the years, including sometimes expensive, beautiful ones. And Bonnie has given me many other lovely things. But if asked what gift stands out above all the rest, I instantly think of the box of recipes. I think, too, of the anticipation and apprehension on her face as she waited to see how her gift would be received.

A gift from the heart deserves only the most enthusiastic of responses. The kind of response that I think God gives us when we awkwardly do a small service for him. Sometimes I’m apprehensive about doing something new for God until I remember that God is thankful that I’m willing to try. And God appreciates the gift. After all, who knows better what giving is all about?

Beyond the Door
1. Each of us no doubt has a treasured gift like the one the author describes. What is yours? Think about the occasion for the gift. Talk with a friend about it.

2. Have you ever given a special gift that you just couldn’t wait for the person to open? What were the circumstances of the giving and receiving? Is it fun to think about it even now?

3. Do you agree that "it’s better to give than to receive"? Are there times when it’s better to receive than to give? Reflect on both occasions.

4. In "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" (hymn 551 in the Lutheran Book of Worship), we praise God in the words "Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest." Giving, it seems, is never far from "forgiving." Or from "blessing" and "being blest." How wonderful that it’s all part of the same package!