A girl is opening a present.

Gifts and Giving. Noun and Verb.

Gift: The word is a noun, plural form being gifts.

The first explanation you’ll see when you locate “gift” in its online definition is “a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.” An example is “a Christmas gift.”

But wait, there’s more!

  1. The first statement is followed by: a gift is “more an act of giving something as a present.” An example: “his mother’s gift of a pen.”
  2. Next is the explanation that a gift can be a very easy task or unmissable opportunity. An example: “that touchdown was an absolute gift.”
  3. Yet another explanation notes that a gift is “a natural ability or talent.” An example “he has a gift for comedy.”

There are so many ‘meanings’ for the same word.

Gifts that you have. Gifts that you give. Gifts that you receive.

There are gifts that you and the recipient can see and hold. You wrap up it in a box with a bow. Yet there are also gifts that you can’t see but you can use. You can’t give these gifts away but you can share with others through your gifts.

  • Gifts can be extravagant and impersonal.
  • Gifts can cost hardly anything at all yet touch the recipient’s heart.
  • Gifts can be intrinsic.

Intrinsic gifts come naturally to us – we’re born with them (unlike skills – which we learn or develop).

Each person must figure out what intrinsic gifts they have and how they should use them.

Intrinsic gifts are wildly diverse – yet each is unspeakably valuable.

Our gifts are bestowed in order that they’re shared. In fact, I wonder if those who don’t share their gifts even know what they are.

Our intrinsic gifts are part of the beauty of this season. If we understand all of this, then we actually give gifts wrapped up in boxes as symbolic messages to our loved ones of the other gifts that we have to share.

The best gifts are, of course, the gifts that we give of ourselves: gifts that give part of our hearts to others. They may “cost” us more in time than anything else and require that we share the intrinsic gifts that we’ve been given.

This all is getting very complicated.

  • Gifts in boxes.
  • Gifts in our hearts.
  • Gifts we give.
  • Gifts we receive.
  • Gifts that are expensive yet invaluable.
  • Gifts that cost no money at all yet mean more than anyone can imagine.

The complexity created by all of these gifts becomes simple the moment we turn the noun gift into the verb give. Because when that happens we do it, we don’t receive it.

This season gives us the perfect opportunity to use the verb and not worry about the noun. We give of ourselves and don’t concern ourselves with the gifts that we receive. After all, nothing is better for our hearts than giving part of it to others.

Giving back is part of who Jackrabbit is. Our giving back initiatives are as diverse as the gifts that our individual team members possess and we seek out opportunities so we can make the most of our participation.

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