Article February 24, 1997 Issue

Being grateful before the fact

Kevin G. Graunke

In The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, the two young newly-weds, Jim and Della, each sell their most cherished earthly belongings to buy a gift for the other. The author writes at the story's conclusion: "... let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest." The Gift of the Magi (Mankato, MN: Creative Education, Inc., 1980), p. 27 . The message that touches the heart is that they freely gave up their worldly possessions out of gratitude for the love they shared.

Heartfelt love and gratitude are gifts we can share daily in infinite measure because their true source is not in people or things but in God. Hymn 146 in the Christian Science Hymnal tells us,

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Adjusting to retirement with love
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