Gifts That Anybody Can Give

There's a little lesson I've learned from watching my children. Usually when my children are invited to a birthday party, I take them to a shop and they pick out a small present. And when it is their sibling's birthday, I get extra presents so they each have one to give.
But a few weeks ago, it was Lydia's birthday. Since she still doesn't really know what birthdays are about, I just brought her one big present. I forgot about getting one each for the children to give.
So what did they do? Did they ask to go shopping? No. They, of their own initiative, looked through their own things and each picked out one of their own toys/things that they thought Lydia would like and wrapped them up!
Another time it was a friend's birthday from school. Esther asked me if she could give her one of her own birthday presents that she had been given. It wasn't that she didn't like her present anymore, but she wanted to give it as a gift. How could I say no? I want them to be giving, and also not to love things too much, so I said she could.
These are only two examples. Today Esther told me what she wants to give to another friend for her birthday. Her own doll! I'm not quite sure what to say about that!
But the point is---There are always meaningful gifts that we can give. We don't even have to have money. We don't even have to go shopping. It is nice to buy gifts, but there are many other kinds of gifts we can give too.
 Here's a list I came up with. Not everyone can do (or has) all of these. But there is at least something we can all do.
*A Card
*A cake
*Biscuits
*Buns, bread or other baking
*Soup
*Babysitting
*Prayer
*Lend a book
*A poem
*An invitation to come visit or go visit them yourself
*A meal
*A phone call/text message/email or letter
*Practical help
*Vegetables or fruit out of your garden
*Flowers from your garden
*A favorite recipe 
*Canned food (If that is something you like to do)
*A listening ear
*Words of encouragement
*Homemade gifts--if you make anything as a hobby
*Hand-me-downs
*A smile
*A question--"How's your week been? How are things going?"
*Whatever you're good at--I remember two of my sisters who sing well together singing on the phone to someone in hospital for heart surgery--they gave the gift of a song.Whatever you are good at doing, can be used as a gift for others.

The thought behind gifts is often what is the most touching.