Giving Gifts Intentionally

 

Two weeks ago, two very dear Bahai friends from Maryland visited our family and we spent the day picnicking and swimming in the Yellow Breeches here in Cumberland County, PA. We met this Bahai couple when attending University about 20 years ago. After heartfelt greetings in the driveway (it had been several years since we had seen them in person) they presented us with a gift bag. Inside was an original pen and ink drawing by Dr. David S. Ruhe purchased at auction at the Bahai Center in Haifa during his time of service there with the supreme governing council of the Bahai Faith, the Universal House of Justice. 

The drawing depicts a spot in the Hula Valley in northern Israel. A place of great natural beauty and a retreat for many animals and birds and visitors seeking solace. I spent two years serving as a  youth at the Bahai Center before college and the members of the UHJ had a profound and lasting impact on my Bahai perspective and identity. I think this is mostly attributed to their constant advice to me to investigate truth independently and delve into the Bahai writings. 

This gift from our friends touched our hearts profoundly on many levels. It was personalized and given intentionally. This made me step back and really think about how I give gifts. How often do I truly match a gift with its recipient? 

We have all given gifts or been the receiver of gifts where clearly the intention was to bring joy to the gift-bearer. But what if the next time we plan to give a gift we step back and ask...

What would bring joy or relief to the gift-receivers' heart? What would truly make them happy?  What is their passion and can I offer something that helps them fulfill that passion? Do they even need a physical gift?

Answering these questions requires a commitment to get to know someone deeply and less superficially. It requires an enhanced level of selflessness when selecting a gift. The next time I intend to give a gift I will definitely take a few moments a look at Dr. Ruhe's drawing and the journey it took from his sketch pad in Israel, to across the Atlantic, to the east-coast, to Maryland and eventually to our home in Cumberland County, PA by way of two special friends.