The Bible- and experience- teaches us it truly is more blessed to give than receive.

I’ve found giving the “best” gifts DO NOT require money.

Rather, the price of giving – the dearest cost- is counted and measured by “sacrifice of self”. 

Here are 31 free, but priceless gifts I’ve discovered I can give to anyone at anytime.

1. A Smile:  “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Mother Theresa                                                                                                                                                                                          
2. A Hello– In a busy, fearful of strangers world, a Hello recognizes person-hood and worth. A hello offers friendship and connection to our isolated world.  “Each time you say hello to a stranger, your heart acknowledges over and over again that we are all family.”  Suzy Kassem
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
3. A Kind Word: “Kind Words are like honey; sweet to the soul and healthy to the body.” Proverbs 6:24    We reap what we sow– What goes around comes around- I want to intentionally let the “law of kindness” rule my life.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
4.  A Hug: “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.” Virginia Satyr  Be the hug for someone today! 🙂                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
5. Respect: “Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king. (I think this even means the “leaders” we don’t like.  😉 )” I Peter  2:17                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
6. Cheerfulness: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world” Phil. 2:14   When I’m cheerful instead of complaining, I’ve noticed I actually hold the power to change the atmosphere- at work, at home, at school, at play. Cheerfulness may be invisible but transforms gloom and darkness into joyous light.  I’d rather be a Pollyanna than Eeyore.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
7. Focused Attention: I can’t say enough about this one!  I am distractable. There’s always a circus in my mind! So this gift- of focused attention- takes intentional effort for me.                                                                                                                                                                                                  I have 2 battles with focused attention.  My attention is distracted by my “self” and my own problems. I find I give them way too much attention.  My second attention grabber (I’m embarrassed to admit) is the plethora of electronic choices on my phone- from reading to playing games.) How much better to train my mind to focus on what God’s heart is focused on.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
8. Laughter and Merriment: There’s enough negativity in this world. I don’t want to be uniformed but I limit my news intake and put up boundaries around people who are obsessed with doom and gloom!    “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22  I want to be that one who brings Comfort and Joy and Merriment to a tired and careworn world.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
9.  A Touch- I can’t be afraid to “touch” and be touched. In nursing classes, we read a horrifying account of orphans who were fed by bottle and never held or cuddled. This led to severe failure to thrive- and even death.  God wired us for touch- our brain needs loving touch to develop, our soul needs compassionate touch to thrive.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Benevolent touch- a giving of one’s self to another- is a hallmark of authentic living and a most precious gift. Jesus intentionally used touch to minister. He hugged lepers,  children, women, and His disciples. He made Himself touchable- he let a woman wipe his feet with her hair and the women who touched just the hem of His garment was made whole.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
10. A Prayer– I try to pray “with” someone instead of “for” someone. Sometimes, I’ve been in a hurry- or I get embarrassed or shy- but the times I stop everything and pray with someone – heaven invades earth. God bends down and fills our spaces with His grace. Jesus said- “Where there are two or three gathered in My Name- I am there, with them.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        To be continued–   ………………….                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  [Tweet “The best #gifts in life are free- but cost us investment of self. #CHRISTmas #giving”]                                                                                                                                                                              Surprising Treasure: Behold- what manner of love the Father has lavished upon us. Therefore- go and do likewise.