Giving Good Gifts

We went to visit two of our dearest friends - a married couple - a few nights ago. When I left, she gave me an armful of roses (pictured above) from her garden. Her favorite part of having such an incredible rose garden, she told me, was not that she could enjoy them every day, or the color they bring to her kitchen table. Instead, it was being able to take fresh flowers to neighbors and friends.

It was such an out-of-the-box moment for me as I thought about how many different and unique ways there are to help others. You may not have a ton of cash, but you do have something you can share.

For our family right now, the gift we're giving is time. We've been pouring time into others through ministry, hosting dinners at our house, and volunteering in capacities that wouldn't normally be our first choice. Sometimes that's rewarding, and sometimes I want to scratch every single event, meeting and scheduled dinner off of my calendar. But I've noticed that giving good gifts to others usually requires sacrifice.

What is the good gift you're giving? Does it feel like sacrifice? Should it?