Looking back over my daughter's life, I realized she rarely visited anyone empty-handed. Whether it was a homemade treat, a thoughtful card, or a small token she had picked up along the way, she always brought a gift. It was simply her love language, and I admired that quality in her.
Recently, before meeting a friend for lunch, I found myself pulling into a roadside stand to buy a jar of homemade cherry jam. I slipped it into a little gift bag and, after we were seated, slid it across the table with a smile.
As the waitress approached, she cheerfully wished my friend a happy birthday. My friend laughed and replied, "Oh, it's not my birthday...she's just like that!"
Her words lingered with me. Shouldn't every gathering be sprinkled with unexpected kindness? What a beautiful legacy my daughter left behind—a life that looked for opportunities to bless someone else.
Scripture tells us that God is the greatest Giver of all. "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." —1 Peter 4:10. That verse made me wonder: What is the greatest gift we've ever received?
Ephesians 2:8-9 answers the question: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
So, what is God's love language?
Not gifts. Grace.
Everything about God flows from His grace—His undeserved favor, His forgiveness, His mercy, and His relentless love. We didn't earn it. We couldn't deserve it. Yet He freely offers it through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What incredible grace!
Ben Fuller captures that gratitude perfectly: "I'm living. I'm breathing. I'm walking in freedom. It's only by the grace of God. Delivered. Forgiven. Only by the grace of God."
May our lives become little jars of cherry jam—simple, unexpected reminders that grace is meant to be shared.
Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for the people You place in our lives and for the simple ways we can share Your love. Help us to be generous with our kindness, thoughtful in our actions, and quick to extend grace to others.
May every gift we give—whether large or small—point back to the greatest gift of all: Your unfailing grace wrapped in love. In Jesus' name, Amen.