But I did it - I wrote a novel in the month of November. It felt good. It was so outside the norm for me, even in the way I wrote it. I did everything backwards (for me at least). Now I have something that, while it still requires editing, feels better than almost everything preceding it.
I'm a gifter. I was born that way. I love to give a gift that matters to someone. I feel so cheap when I just decide to go with a boring average gift. I try every year to pick things that matter to the people who get them, not things that people will say "Oh thank you" and then put in the "donation bin" the first chance they get.
What's the best gift you've ever received? Was it because it was thoughtful, grand, or unique to you? What is the best gift you've ever gifted? How did it feel when the person opened the gift?
For me, it was giving a close friend an autographed photo of one of his favorite actors. I thought he might take the picture home and sleep with it (he doesn't). He did carry it around for the rest of the evening showing it to people. Definitely felt worth while to me.
So tell me stories. Monkeys are up for giveaway, and I KNOW you want some.
1 comment:
Best gift I have given:
I had a family that I was close to come under some hard financial struggles because of their choice to pursue God’s calling on their lives but they were not quick to ask for help. I had got wind that they could use some help and as I was thinking it through another friend of mine that knew the family as well came to me and said they really wanted to help them as well! We had never talked about doing anything so when we both had the same desire to help we figured God was prompting us and we went ahead and gave an anonymous gift to the family. A few days later in talking to the family they said that they had received some money from an anonymous person. I could see the unforced gratitude for the gift in their faces and that is what made it so awesome for me!
best gift....I couldn't pick just one...
Most useful:
My parents bought me a car for Christmas about 5 years ago and I still love it. I am so thankful for my car!! It was not new but it was in great shape and has run without a problem and it is wonderful to have a vehicle that you like that is reliable.
Best this year:
My great friends had a surprise 30th birthday for me! It meant so much to me to have friends that would go to all that effort to keep it a secret and they had a few people come from out of town that I didn't expect to see. No one had ever given me a surprise birthday party before and it was fun!
Best gift worked through by God:
I had an anonymous person leave an envelope with four $100 bills in it with nothing but my name on the front. I was glad to get it for sure, but I was also very confused because that was a lot of money and I had no pressing need in my own life that would warrant such a gift. That is when the cool God part came in. About three days after getting the envelope I received a phone call from a family member how had just had some very difficult stuff surprise them. They didn't want to ask me for help with the expenses that they now had but they had tried many other options that came to nothing. The great part was that I was able to say to them, “well, someone must have been prompted by God to help you but didn't even know you needed it!” I happily gave them the $400. I have no way of thanking the amazing person that gave me and my family that gift but I know and trust that God will reward them for their act of kindness.
Best Non-gift gifts:
I have been so blessed by the people in my life that have cared for me in ways they will never fully understand. A family brought me into their home for a few years and treated me like family, and they will always be family to me. Another family invited me to join them for Christmas in a time that I really needed comfort. A few co-workers honestly have asked me how I was doing and when I said “oh, ok...” they didn't just let that go and really wanted to encourage me.
I had a great time thinking about gifts and it made me even more thankful for all the blessings God has given me in my life. This was fun!!!
Post a Comment