Gifts of Love

Many of you know that it was my birthday recently. Birthdays are grand!!!! The infamous question is, "Sooooo... whadya get?" :) Yeah, I did receive some presents. But my favorite-est gifts are the actions of love.


It’s love when somebody remembers that my favorite cake is carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s love when somebody sees an unused garden bench resting on curb for the garbage man, and calls me to see if my lonely porch could use it. It’s love every-single-time my parents go out of their way, just to help me with house stuff (which has been like billions of times, I am in love-debt to my parents!). It's love when I'm struggling with sickness and someone offers to pray for me right then, over the phone. It's love when my little brother takes me out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, just because I asked. It's love when my roommates avoid studying just to chill, watch movies or talk about life issues with me. It's love when someone hears a rumor and thinks the best of me and then talks directly to me to get the truth. It's love when someone sends a 'how ya doin?' email/text/IM for no reason. The list could go on and on...

Gifts of love are the best because they are not limited to one day per year, like birthday presents. Gifts of love can happen any time! You'll notice that many of these gifts do not involve money. They are gifts of time, thoughts, attention, etc. Many times, love is not convenient or easy or fuzzy-feeling-related. Love is sacrificial by nature. Love puts aside its own agenda and sacrifices for the happiness of another.

I'm hoping and praying that the Lord teaches to me to be a giver of love to the people around me. While receiving love is wonderful, I'm sure giving love is better!