Three short memories of gifts and service

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV.

Giving and receiving builds relationships and charity. When I serve others cheerfully, I grow to love them. When others give to me or serve me cheerfully, I feel charity grow in me and I want to be able to both reciprocate and pass it on to others. I also feel grateful and happy. I’ve often thought that giving and receiving are great ways to become happy and fulfilled, because happiness and fulfilment seem to be found in love and lost in hatred.

Christmas is sometimes called the season of giving, and it seemed a fitting time to share some stories of times people served me or gave to me. These memories make me feel love, gratitude, and hope.

Holey Socks

When I had barely begun my service as a missionary in South Korea, I visited the home of my mission president at the mission headquarters. When I took my shoes off, the mission presidents wife noticed a hole in my sock. She didn’t speak much English, and I didn’t speak much Korean. She pointed at the hole and said something I didn’t understand. She left the room and returned with a needle and thread, and knelt down in front of me and started sewing up the hole. The sock was still on my foot. I felt a bit uncomfortable being offered this service.

I didn’t get to know sister Yang very well. We never really got to chat or exchange many personal stories. I loved her though, because she knelt down and sewed up a hole in my sock. Our relationship developed as she offered other acts of services. Sister Yang and her husband, the mission president, returned home from their mission shortly after. We haven’t kept in touch, but I like the photos her husband puts on Facebook sometimes. I also think of her fondly when I get holes in my socks.

Used Cars

When my wife and I were newly married and both students, the condition of our car was deteriorating. We decided to buy a second hand car to replace it. I’m not a “car person” but I went out and found an inexpensive car that I thought would meet our needs. Within a fortnight of buying it, we blew a head gasket. The auto-mechanic took a look at it. The entire cooling system was very rusted. For a long time, the previous owners had put water into the radiator instead of anti-freeze. Water in the cooling system will still keep the engine cool but apparently it does not prevent rust. It was a short term solution that resulted in problems later. It would cost more to fix than the price of the car. I felt very discouraged.

A grand aunt of mine, who wasn’t very close to us, found out somehow. She called me and offered to sell us her car at a very low price. She said she didn’t use it much, but could guarantee that it had been well maintained and was in good enough condition. This kick-started the development of our relationship with her. She visited our home once. We visited her home a few times. We have kept in touch via letters, emails, and phone calls in the years since we moved away, and even since we moved to Poland.

Christmas Decor

When we lived near my family, we sometimes went to their place and cut a branch off a pine tree for our Christmas tree. Other times, we may have used a second-hand ‘fake Christmas tree’ given to us by someone. We had a fun time making decorations for the tree and home in family home evening. One year while I was a student and my wife was a stay-at-home-mum, our friend and home teacher visited and gave us some Christmas lights and stuff. I don’t think we had Christmas lights the year before. I hadn’t minded, but the gift was touching and thoughtful. My wife especially loved the Christmas lights.

This year as our family moved across the world two months before Christmas. We only brought what we could fit into our suitcases. We arrived in unusual circumstances. Covid cases hiked up and restrictions came into play. We were unfamiliar with how to go about buying things second-hand in Poland during a pandemic. We were also better off financially since we weren’t students anymore. We ordered a ‘fake Christmas tree’ online, some beautiful straw decorations, and some Christmas lights. As we put the lights on the tree, my thoughts turned back to the time our friend gave us Christmas lights. I felt grateful and loved, all over again.