Inspirational and Insightful Quotations #48 --- Giving (Giving Gifts)

A gift with a kind countenance is a double present.

—Jewell Ball, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss., Dec. 21, 1971.

Gifts from the heart always carry a sweet perfume.

—Ernest C. Wareing, Western Christian Advocate, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 6, 1924.

Flowers for the living are the ones with the sweetest fragrance.

—Tom Ethridge, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss., June 1, 1967.

Receiving without giving is less than half living, and the joy of giving is the apex of living.

—George H. Brimhall, Y News, Provo, Utah, Dec. 19, 1928.

Giving is always a poor investment when it is an investment only.

—Henry F. Cope, Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Ill., Dec. 23, 1906.

Giving grudgingly is sowing sparingly.

—Henry F. Cope, Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Ill., Nov. 8, 1908.

A gift to be real must show love and represent growth to both the giver and those who receive. Therefore, it is more valuable and with time its value increases. Such giving is motivated by a compassion for others and for their needs which will return to them a portion of their share of happiness.

—Ted L. Hanks, Spanish Fork Press, Spanish Fork, Utah, Dec. 18, 1980.

Do you know the fable of the cow and the pig? The pig was complaining about the way his owner treated him. He said to the cow: "I notice that he calls you pet names, feeds you clean food and beds you down in a warm, dry stall. But he feeds me rotting scraps from the table, keeps me in a cold, muddy pen and doesn't give me a name. What makes the difference between his treatment of you and me?" The cow replied, "I don't know unless it is the fact that I am giving to him day by day while I am alive, but he has to wait for you to die to get yours."

—John W. Harold, Midland Schools, Des Moines, Iowa, January 1959.

The man who makes a gift to some cause in which he doesn't believe simply because he hasn't the courage to say no, is not a thoughtful giver. He is just an easy mark, deserving no credit. On the other hand, a man who gives to the point of personal sacrifice, more than he can afford, when he is assured the need is great enough, may be the most thoughtful kind of giver. Giving too much for reasons of little importance is not creditable; giving more than we can afford when our hearts are really touched proves that we are more than mere animals, that we can rise above even our best judgment as human beings.

—Grove Patterson, Milwaukee Sentinel, Milwaukee, Wis., May 26, 1931.

He who never gives anything away without hope of financial return soon becomes afraid to give and even fears he will not be able to make enough for himself. He becomes fearful and ill-natured. Generosity mellows the soul as few other things can. It sweetens the disposition and leaves the giver with a more cheery outlook on life.

—Vernald William Johns, Garland Times, Garland, Utah, July 10, 1930.

“Giving till it hurts: is the lowest form of giving, because it hurts to do it. The best type of giving is the cheerful giving that merits its own reward.

—Robert Wesley Peach, New York Times, New York, N.Y., Feb. 8, 1926.

We must have more than money to give. We must acquire an inner wealth of personality which we can share.

—Ralph W. Sockman, New York Times, New York, N.Y., Nov. 27, 1931.

If you find giving to be grudgingly or of necessity, look into your own soul. It may be that you have not made the primary gift–the gift of self.

—Bruce H. Price, Religious Herald, Richmond, Va., Nov. 23, 1950.

Of heart riches we only keep what we give away.

—Nephi Jensen, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 3, 1934.

Even when you are giving you may not be generous.

—Roy L. Smith, Tampa Morning Tribune, Tampa, Fla., Nov. 21, 1932.

It is more blessed to give than to talk about giving.

—Congregationalist, Boston, Mass., Oct. 19, 1899.

God measures our gifts not by the greatness of them, but by the self denial they express in giving them.

—The Gospel Observer, Denham Springs, La., Aug. 7, 2005.

Cultivate the habit of giving–but never give up.

—Rocky Mountain Herald, Denver, Colo., Oct. 2, 1868.

You give yourself when you do kindly deeds for those about you.

You give yourself when you remember those less fortunate, from whom you do not or cannot expect reciprocation.

You give yourself when you give a smile to the downcast, a cheery word to the despondent, a helping hand to the stumbling, a thought or deed of hope to the prostrate.

Above all, you give yourself when you make children happy.

—Tampa Morning Tribune, Tampa, Fla., Dec. 25, 1933.

He gives but an empty hand who withholds his heart.

—Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Ill., Feb. 28, 1904. Emerson said, “The only gift is a portion of thyself.” Of all presents, the one which represents hours of patient effort should be most highly prized.

—Frank Francis, Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah, Dec. 18, 1924.

In that spirit of giving, search out those who may need [your] sustaining influence and give of [your] better selves. That is an attitude rich in all the finer urges of life.

—Frank Francis, Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah, Dec. 10, 1940.

Until you can give of yourself, you can never give to yourself.

—Bill Copeland, Sarasota Journal, Sarasota, Fla., April 30, 1969.

Giving strengthens the character only when there is some sacrifice involved in giving.

—Lillian H. Cannon, Young Woman’s Journal, Salt Lake City, Utah, November 1898.

It isn't the bigness, or the richness, or the magnificence of a gift that makes it valuable to the recipient, but the thoughtfulness, or perhaps the affection, of which it is but the outward, tangible expression, for "the gift without the giver" is almost meaningless.

You might bestow upon your friend the costliest thing your money could buy and yet if it wasn't an expression of genuine feeling it couldn't possibly afford your friend the pleasure that such a gift might if given in the right spirit. Nor would it afford you the joy that real heart-giving affords one.

Yet, the simplest sort of a gift, enriched with the feeling of real friendliness, or love, is valuable beyond all words.

Too often we hear someone lamenting the fact that they cannot give to others as much as they would like to give, and yet we feel that it is truly within the province of each and every one of us to give just as much as we care to give.

True, we might not be able to give the things the giving of which means the expenditure of vast sums of money, but we can give of ourselves and no one is too poor to do that, and after all giving of one's self is the highest form of giving, the greatest kind of generosity, the most valuable kind of gift-making.

Too many gifts are given, to use a slang expression, "with a string to them." They are given with the expectation of return in some way, or to further one's plan toward some end, or to ingratiate one's self in the esteem of the recipient. That is never real giving, for such gifts are not from and of the heart. ...

If we cannot give of worldly, material possessions we can give of those things which the men and women in this world so sadly need--encouragement, cheer, help, thoughtfulness, sympathy, understanding and whenever we give of these gifts of the heart--a word to encourage or lighten the heart in tangible, material form, and the fragrance of such a gift will linger in the heart of the recipient.

—Harriot Russell, Houston Daily Post, Houston, Texas, Feb. 24, 1916.