Love. Thankfulness. Generosity. Gratefulness. Care. Gratitude. Kindness. These words are expressions of feelings when gifts are given.
You know that incredible Love chapter………..I Corinthians 13? And you know the ending: “but the greatest of these is LOVE.” So true!
Gifts. Tangible Evidence of feelings from the heart. How are you at showing love and gratitude by giving a gift, sending a card, spending a little time with someone to show you care? Oh boy! There’s much room for improvement in my life!
How about this beautiful verse:
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another…tenderhearted…..forgiving…….
The other day Shelby and the kids stopped by to give us a little “thank you” gift for taking care of Thomas, Anna and John while Bill and Shelby celebrated their landmark anniversary in a part of the USA they had never been, Charleston. Our gifts, of course, came from Charleston which made them all the more special. We received flavored olive oils and specialty teas. Yum, yum, yum!!
As a result my creative juices started flowing when I read the four types of olive oils: Raspberry, almond cream and sun dried tomato Parmesan and garlic.
A tossed romaine salad with apples and raisins infused with a raspberry olive oil dressing was just the ticket.
The next thing I knew there was a whole meal just because of that gift. Our entree was fried chicken fingers, sides: this new salad and mashed potatoes and gravy. I’ll share those later. 🙂
What is the point of this message? (Yes, today it’s more than a recipe.)
Gifts change us. Gifts show us that someone is noticing our efforts, noticing our hardships, noticing our landmarks, noticing, well………………you get the picture.
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you……………….” Matthew 7:12
Gifts don’t have to be eloquent, expensive, and elaborate. Just a little something which says, “Thank You for Your Work,” “I’m grateful You Were There for me,” “I love you,” “I’m praying for you in your time of distress.” What matters is……SHOWING IT in some form. Capture the opportunity when it arises—when you visualize in your mind’s eye what you could do….Do it! Speaking of this, a new family has moved to town and visited our church. Do you think they would feel welcomed and appreciated with a plate of cookies?
When my family moved to our new town, I was ten years old. Our new neighbors invited us up for dinner that evening after moving all day. Spread out before us was a large fried chicken meal with all the fixings. They reached out to their new weary neighbors and we instantly became very close neighbors for many years to come. Just because of a thought of caring which was acted upon.
People CARING for people, making our world a better place.
Thank you Bill and Shelby for your awesome little gifts for us. We are grateful. And it was a privilege to care for your children. Beautiful memories carved in our minds were made in those very few days.
Apple, Walnut Raisin Tossed Salad.....and Gifts
Ingredients
- 1 head of Romaine chopped
- 1 apple sliced
- 7- Up Sprite or lemon juice and water to soak apple slices
- 1/4 C Raisins
- 1/4 C sliced or chopped red onions
- 1/4 C chopped celery
- 1/8 C black walnuts optional
- 1/8 C cranberries optional
- Dressing:
- 1/3 C mayonnaise
- 3 T raspberry olive oil raspberry or strawberry vinaigrette dressing works well
- 3 T vinegar
Instructions
- For Salad: Slice or chop one apple and soak in a bowl with Sprite, 7 Up or water and lemon juice so that the apple will not discolor.
- In a large bowl combine lettuce, onions, walnuts and cranberries. Drain and add apple slices or chunks right before serving.
- For dressing: In a small bowl combine mayo, olive oil or dressing, vinegar and pour over salad and toss.
What’s in your mind’s eye? Or should I say, “who”?
Another beautiful devotion. When are you going to put together a book?
Thank you so much, Joan! Devotions always make our hearts feel warmer and uplifted. We have so much to be grateful for in our lives.
A book? Well, that’s certainly something fun to think on. 🙂
Thanks so much for supporting us all! You’re the best!
Denise