Jun 10
21
Gifts of Love
Last week, my neighbor gave me her dryer. Yes, like a washer/dryer…she gave me her dryer. Her washer gave out, was under warranty, and so she was replacing it anyway. When she told me, I asked–almost flippantly–if she was replacing her dryer, too, and giving her old one to me. I mentioned that we have been keeping our dryer closed with a bungee cord (lol, but seriously!) for many months. With the number of children we have and the myriad loads of laundry we wash, the bungee cord thing was working but would sometimes not be strong enough to keep the bouncing laundry contained and drying…which led to many a load left wet in the dryer all day!
Anyway, she called me later on that week, said they were replacing the dryer, too, to match her washer (the old one was a discontinued color) with the extra credit and would I like her dryer. She said she would much rather send it down the street on a dolly with my husband than to pay someone to haul it away…! I was so grateful. 
For her, giving us her dryer was a small action. Her generosity required only a few phone calls, knowledge of my need, and her kind heart, but this gift of love meant the world to me.
So, recently, we came home from the beach, started our usual load of sand-laden, salt-watered clothing, towels, etc., and hooked up the dryer. We loaded it full of wet, washed linens and swim suits, and let the dryer work its magic. Truly–it was magic! We left the house to have an amazing evening among family–and I didn’t worry about coming home to wet clothes because the dryer door had popped open again! Hooray!!
All around us, on a daily–even hourly–basis, we have others who need the gifts of love we can give. Some of them aren’t as large or heavy as a clothes dryer…but the smiles, baked goodies, notes we drop in the mail, or phone calls we make can extend our love to those around us who are lonely or left wanting. Some of those we see don’t even know they are suffering (like we just made our dryer work), but when they feel the relief of our hugs or the strength of our hearts, they find themselves empowered through our gifts of love. I dare say that I become more empowered, too! How about you?
