You Are a Gift: Unleashing What That Means
I smiled with joy when I walked into my friend’s bedroom and saw a picture I had gifted her hanging on her wall. What made that moment so special? It wasn’t simply the physical picture itself- but everything it represented. Whether a gift is a batch of cookies or an engagement ring, the way a gift is received speaks something to our hearts. Why? Because a gift means something.
You may have heard the words, “You are a gift.” These are NOT just empty words. The reality that we are a gift is stamped into the nature of both our bodies and our hearts! Yes. You are a gift. So let’s look at some of the qualities of a gift and see what that means about YOU!
A gift only makes sense in relationship. When you think about it, our bodies, by virtue of our sexuality, don’t make sense alone. They only make sense in the context of a relationship characterized by a complete self-giving. Similarly, our souls have a longing for something more… something that transcends us. To be in a relationship of communion, where we give of ourselves and receive the gift of another, is what we are created for!
A gift is a visible sign of an invisible reality. My physical gift to my friend was a sign of realities that could not be seen- such as my care for her and our friendship. Your physical body puts flesh to an incredible spiritual reality- your soul! How powerful that our bodies express a living soul that will live on for all of eternity! Therefore, what we do with our bodies and how we choose to love has amazing ramifications.
A gift expresses free LOVE. What makes a gift a gift is that is not just another transaction. A gift is given FREELY. It does not come with conditions and nothing is demanded in return. It simply wills the good of another, often through a sacrifice… which is also a defining quality of LOVE. Jesus showed us this on the cross with the most radical act of love in history. He completely poured himself out in a gift of self with both his body and soul. His life teaches us what self-giving looks like.
A gift tells us something about the giver! The gift I gave my friend revealed something about me. It reflected my thoughtfulness and the choices I made for her. It had my fingerprints and a story behind its creation. Similarly, you were thought out by the God of the universe. The gift of you reveals the thoughts of God’s heart about what the world needs. God, who is self-giving, made you in his image. You reflect both the creator and his desire for YOU! You reveal something about God and God’s love.
A gift only becomes a gift when it is GIVEN (in love)! My picture did not become a gift until it was given to my friend. Since you are a gift, it is then through giving of yourself in acts of love that you can come to discover the fullness of who you are. In the words of St. John Paul II, “Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of self,” (TOB, January 16, 1980). Yes, it is a paradox, but we find ourselves by giving of ourselves! The Lord does say, “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
A gift should be received with love. By thanking me for my gift and proudly hanging it up, my friend reverenced what that gift meant. How do we respond to the gift of ourselves and of others in a way that honors God’s creative genius and our spiritual realities? If someone gives the gift of themselves to us, whether by sharing something that’s on their heart, or by making a sacrifice to care for us, we should respond by acknowledging and cherishing that gift. Jesus actually modeled this to us. Christ thanked his heavenly Father for the gift of US, saying, “Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me” (John 17:24).
I have two challenges for you to unleash the power of the GIFT!
1) Give of yourself to the people in your life. Whether you share your time, talents, heart, or a simple smile- embrace sacrificial acts of love! Through this, you will step into the fullness of what you are created for and what it means to be alive.
2) Actively receive the gift of others in your life. Be present to the gift that others are and show gratitude for their sacrifices and acts of love. Remind them that they truly are a GIFT.
That we are all a gift is no small matter. St. John Paul II taught that through expressing a love in which the human person becomes a gift, one “fulfills the very meaning of his being and existence” (TOB, January 16, 1980).
