Gifts people have that they can share, and often don't.

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Hear me out, please. I will try to make my point quickly. No, I don't mean that your average person is standing there with a gift wrapped package to hand to the nearest person. (Darn! I wish!) I mean a gift...something that person has a talent for, something they are good at, or something they do to help others...a gift. Something to share with others to make their lives better...something to make the world a better place. I know that many will say, well, those are gifts from God. Yes, I researched this through the Bible as well. Many people have gifts from their genetics, or from how their early years were. There are so many gifts that so many people never realize they have, or that their children have. Some are praised and recognized, and some are stunted and ignored. Some people have talents that are obvious--maybe they are a gifted teacher, doctor, lawyer, mentor, nurse...it goes on and on. They are what they are, because of who they are. I've done a lot of reading about gifts people have that they share. Some are recognized, some are not. Some are truly noticeable and some are out there, front and center, and no one notices them. In my research, I stumbled over a lot of opinions, what this person and that person truly thought. The one opinion that truly hit home, was Rick Warren's definition of what to give someone. It's the gift of time. Your time. “Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time. It is not enough to just say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. "My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action." Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is "T-I-M-E.” ? Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for? I don't generally worship any Christian writers. But what he says, it's true. We can say, oh, I will do this and that, but the gift of time...it's priceless. Completely priceless! The visit to the nursing home that you have been meaning to make but...you haven't gone. The friend who really needs a listening ear since she just lost her husband...but you didn't want to listen, because it makes you sad. The old fellow next door who sits outside and just remembers, and has no one to sit with him..and you could spare a few minutes. But he is old and you don't want to take the time to listen to him and to his memories... The young mother down the street who just buried her child...and you're afraid you will cry, so you stay away. Your friend who lost both his parents the same day--what can you say? Nothing that will make a difference. But you can offer the gift of time, and you can listen. Go listen to them. Take a few minutes to truly just listen. No one cares if you shed a tear or two with them. I have to agree with Rick Warren. The gift of time, truly the best gift of all. **Oh, the heads are shaking again...''Here's Marie, getting too deep. She needs to go bake some cookies or something...'' That may well be true, but this is on my mind and heart tonight. .**