A Gift From A Friend

A Gift from a Friend

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

The week I arrived home exhausted and sad after my sister’s death, I was met that first evening by my friend Susan, who brought a delicious hot meal of chicken and noodles, salad, cake, and fresh strawberries. A few days later, Corrie arrived at my door with a lovely vase of roses that brightened my heart all that week. Knowing I was alone, Cynthia, my friend a few doors away, invited me to her home for dinner one evening. These friends’ gifts of kindness nourished my body and cheered my soul, helped me get through a difficult time of loss, and nurtured our relationships.

The kindness of a friend will stay with you forever. Remembering your friends in some thoughtful way when they’ve suffered a loss, are ill, or are just down in the dumps is a lovely way of saying, “I’m thinking about you. I care.” These gestures of kindness and care don’t have to be expensive or even store-bought. A spontaneous, unexpected gift from the heart is perhaps best of all: a bunch of flowers from your garden, homemade brownies, or a book you’ve enjoyed. Knitting or crocheting a “prayer blanket” and praying for your friend throughout the project warms both the body and the soul of the recipient. Whether the gift is thoughtfully chosen at a shop or comes from your garden or your kitchen, gifts given to friends in a spirit of love deliver buckets of kindness. The time and care expended to give a gracious, personal gift speak volumes and give pleasure both to the giver and to the receiver. To whom can you give an act of kindness and love today? Remember, although the gift may be small, love is all. —CHERI

Father, you are the great Giver, and every good and perfect gift comes from you. Grant me a giving heart, and make me a woman who is sensitive to the needs of my friends and who finds joy in spontaneous acts of kindness.

There are good ships and wood ships,

Ships that sail the sea,

But the best ships are friendships,

And may they always be.

—IRISH SAYING