Rethinking Holidays
Here is another one of my intangible gift ideas. They are not for the faint of heart. But they are full of heart. We have talked about the idea of Quality Time. This gift will take a lot more than time. It will take heart and sacrifice.
Scared?
Good.
Revolution Gift Idea #9:
The Gift of Service
We spend a lot of time thinking and doing for ourselves. There, I said it. And I believe it is true. We humans are downright selfish. Sure, we want to believe we "do" for others. We stop and let someone pass us or we wave someone through a crosswalk. Maybe you buy a cup of juice from a child's lemonade stand or throw some change at the Salvation Army bell ringers (or, some of remain haunted by the fact that they had no change to spare that day and could not break a larger bill, but continually had to pass the ringer looking like a cheapskate.)
These are good things, but are they truly a sacrifice? Are they really meeting the needs of the people around us?
What is "A Gift of Service?" It is doing something for another person who cannot do it for themselves, or saves them from the burden. For free. We underestimate the power of a such a gift, and take for granted these services.
What might a "Gift of Service" look like?
...planting someone a vegetable Garden...
...picking up a shut-in or elderly neighbor's groceries for the next few months...
...mowing someone's lawn at no cost through the Summer...
...babysitting for a new mom once a week so she can get out of the house...
...babysitting for a seasoned mom of several kids once a week so she can get out of the house...
...weeding someone's flower beds when Spring arrives...
...cooking 1 meal a week for a friend, neighbor or family member...
...walking a friend's dog twice a week because they work late...
...chauffering someone who has lost the confidence/ability to drive to their medical appointments during the Winter...
...cleaning someone's house twice a month for 6 months...
Do you have a skill, talent or trade? Offer these as GIFTS!
Are you...
...A Plumber? Offer 1 free service of plumbing...
...Able to tile? Offer the labor to retile a bathroom or kitchen...
...Skilled at painting? Offer the labor to prep and paint 1 room in their house...
...Musically gifted? Offer free musical instrument lessons to someone (or their kids!)...
...Familiar with a car? Offer a free tune up or oil change...
...A teacher? Offer the gift of free tutoring in your content area...
The possibilities are endless! Even as I type, I continue to think of more. What are YOU gifted with the ability to do? How can you use it to bless someone else's life?
***A great way to present this gift is to create (either by computer or by hand) a Gift Certificate or Coupon Book.
Again, I know it feels strange to give an "intangible" gift. But look over the list above.w= Wouldn't you appreciate a gift like this? These are the gifts that matter. These are what gifts should be.
It is my hope that as we begin to give more Gifts of Service to those we love, that we will be inspired to spread that Service far and wide, and to deeper areas of need.
There is a great need in this world for...
...shelter...
...food...
...clothing...
...medical care...
...love...
And these needs go on beyond Christmas, 365 days a year. Can our hearts open wider, for longer? We naturally feel a little sheepish giving the Gift of Service to those we know and love. Does it make you squirm to Serve those you don't know at all?
I do.
So I am writing this just as much (if not more so) to myself.
As we consider the Gift of Service this holiday season, might we challenge ourselves (make a New Year resolution?) to find more ways to serve in our communities? Whether it is stocking at a Food Cupboard, serving at a Soup Kitchen, volunteering at a Shelter, or sorting clothes at Salvation Army, it is needed. It is real.
We need to begin to look into the eyes of those in need.
And love them.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Will you be giving a Gift of Service this Christmas? Leave a comment and share with us your idea!
Christmas is only 1 week away, so I will be posting more often. Hopefully, later today I will throw up another Revolution Gift idea. Keep sending me yours as well! I'm loving all the RETHINKING going on out there!
These are great ideas...
ReplyDeleteOne year we gave a "coupon" for a night of free babysitting (for our 3 neices) so that my sis and brother in law could go out on a dinner date... we also included a real gift certificate with that. It's very possible something like that will happen again, this year for another family member.
Sounds great SMILES
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