Good Gifts

​To give good gifts is an art
And it requires the intervention of heaven,
And desire.
It's not enough to gift out of obligation
Though that kind of giving has its own beauty
When it's done thoughtfully.
But as for me, I desire to give good gifts
For no other reason than
That the gift is the ideal peg
For another's empty hole.
Such giving binds
The giver and receiver
With an eternal kind of love.
It engenders true and deep felt gratitude.
And lasting friendship
Of the kind that transcends the veil.
For this reason,
The hosts of heaven get involved.
For it is no small thing to give a good gift.
You might even say that it is a sacrament,
A holy exchange.
Dear God, help me to give good gifts.
Help me to love and to lend a hand to those who lack.
Help me to be the means of meeting another's need
In just the right moment.
For this is no small thing.
It is so easy to give poor gifts
And to throw away my portion
Without thought.
At the same time, dear God,
Help me to empty myself out
In such a manner that, from time to time,
I will also know lack that others can fill.
And by so doing, dear God,
Please bind us together
And forgive us of our mindless
Getting and giving.
Forgive me
Dear God.
I am so sorry that I did not understand until now
What it was all about.