We are likely invited each year to at least one work-related holiday event at someones residence and we are faced with what to bring along as the leave behind thank you gift. I always marvel at these gifts as if they get beyond a bottle of something then they steer towards something for the house and those things are usually very much focused on what the woman of the house would like to receive; candles, soaps, holiday hand towels, piece of decorative ornamental, etc. It would be very unusual to see a set of picture hangers, molly plugs or hand tools. But, I digress. 🙂 What we see in these gifts are what we expect that others will want to receive being that we really don’t know them all that well and we have to temper them with the fact that this is work based. So, we end up giving gifts that are pretty bland, vanilla and nondescript. It’s an interesting process because it is just the opposite of what we might really want to do and what someone would want to receive. The best gifts are those that are personalized and very much tailored to the wants and needs of the individual. What we really want is someone to receive a gift that they don’t have words to express their appreciation because they are so blown away. Many times these are the gifts that we give of ourselves to others with our time, our resources, our skills, our caring and our thoughtfulness. And, we don’t have to save those gifts for special occasions or the holiday season. Those are gifts that can be given everyday at work to others. As we think of how we are to give of ourselves to others we should look to the ultimate gift ever given and try and model to Him. In 2 Corinthians 9:15 it says, “Thank God for his Son – a gift too wonderful for words.” We will never be able to give a gift like what God gave us but we can try our best to give of ourselves to others so that our gits keep on giving and giving!

Reference: 2 Corinthians 9:15 (New Living Testament)