This post, Gifts that Give Back, can be applied not only during the Holidays, but really all year long. There are no links to items in this post, just good quality advice that I’ve learned from Girlfriends in God.
We often get caught up in ‘gifting stress’, the stress of whether you’re spending enough and whether or not you’ll even like the gifts you receive. Well, what about intangible items? We spend so much time and money on tangible gifts that we often forget how powerful and inexpensive intangible gifts are. Can you remember exactly what you gave & got for Christmas the last 3 years? Probably not off the top of your head. But if I were to ask the last time a friend or family helped you in a time of need, that memory would come to mind almost immediately, right? Giving should be dependent on the heart, not the checkbooks. So below are some inexpensive but extremely meaningful & creative ways to give from the heart.
1. HOMEMADE GIFTS – You can never go wrong with something homemade it has creativity, thought, hard work, and time written all over it.
2. POSESSION GIFTS – What do you have that someone else wants badly? If you don’t have issues parting with the item, gift it to them. Even though it’s not new, they’ll be extra appreciative that you took into consideration their feelings towards the item.
3. THE GIFT OF TIME – If someone you know struggles with “never having enough time”, offer to donate your free time to help cross things off their To-Do list on a weekly or monthly basis. It can be anything from vowing to take your siblings to soccer practice every week or running grocery errands for your mom twice a month. Time is of essence to many, thus this will be of extreme value for those who are always pressed for time.
4. THE GIFT OF PRAYER – Find someone struggling & spend adequate time in daily prayer for them. When I say adequate time, I don’t mean adding one or two sentences about them in your prayer. This is really spending a good chunk of prayer time on them. Let them know each time you pray for them and keep up with how they’re doing so that your prayers can stay relevant.
5. THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT – We assume those in our lives know how much they’re appreciated – well, they actually rarely do. Although we may often think it in our minds, very seldom is it actually communicated across verbally or via actions. Hand written letters and cards given at random times throughout the year are great ways to remind our special ones how much meaning and worth they hold in your life, especially when they’re going through stressful situations.
6. THE GIFT OF CARE – To someone hurt or struggling, invite them over for dinner, listen to them, meet a need in their life, or include them in your holiday celebrations. There are many people out there who are alone for the holidays. Let them join in on your celebration. To you, it may just be an easy +1, but to them, it’s a memory they’ll never forget. The feeling of inclusion is extremely, extremely powerful.
7. SECRET GIFTS – Give a secret gift to someone, with no hidden motive. Don’t publicize it, don’t drop hints, just do it in secret and never revisit it again. There was a story of a struggling family at church. They did not even have enough money to buy milk for their child that month. One day, as they drove home to their mobile home, they saw a brick on their porch – the brick had two $100 bills tape on each side. Till this day, they still have no idea who gave it to them, but it’s a great story that is now told on a consistent basis as well as something they will remember for the rest of their lives.
8. THE GIFT OF TEACHING – If you hold a skill that someone wants or wants to learn, teach them. Whether it be a hobby, craft, or sport. You can gift someone an entirely new skill they can then use, practice, and eventually pass onto someone else.
I truly hope you enjoy each of these 8 gifts. When I first read the Girlfriends in God devotion on this a year ago, I realized how much more weight and meaning lied in the gifts we could easily give for free. Give one of these a shot for someone special this holiday or birthday and see how it works out! I guarantee you their reaction may initially be puzzled and shocked, but will turn into great gratitude & appreciation.