The beginning of Give-Gifts.com was a special one. It was the middle of the week. We were getting ready to go register the name for the website that we wanted for our business. It was early in 2004, at the very start of the year. Although we were getting ready to leave, we still did not have a name for our business. We had a meeting with our lawyer to register the name. I prayed all night. I asked the Lord to give me a name when I woke up in the morning. I woke up and my mind was as blank as it could be, without even a hint of a name.
While getting ready, I was running around getting things done so we could be on time for our meeting to register the name. Still didn't have a name yet. Kind of wondering what to do. We thought of several other names, but none really rang a bell. And so we asked ourselves, what should it be? Someone said, "How about send gift?" Hmm.... I don't like the name. It sounded like "smelly fish-gift" in another language. So, we asked again, what should it be? Someone said, "How about give gifts?" Hmmm... that sounded nice since I like to give gifts and it had a nice ring to it.
I went by the computer to check it out online. Givegifts had been taken. So, we thought again. Okay, we finally have a name we like, but the name is already taken online. What should we do? We thought again. How about adding a dash in between? We checked online, and yes - there you go. It was not taken. We quickly registered the domain name. Hence, the name of our business is Give-Gifts.
The following Sunday, I was sitting in church in our choir section. You know, with singing most of the same songs in the same format every week for many years in the same choir, most of the time I don't look at the songs on the list until it's time to sing. That week, I had no clue what song we were singing for the "Presentation of the Gifts". While I'm sitting there in the choir section, I was enjoying the name I had chosen for my business. Hmm... "What a beautiful name for a business," I was thinking to myself although yes, I should be listening to the sermon. But this time I was deep in thought while the sermon sounded in the background.
Then it was time to stand up and sing with our choir friends. The music started playing. It was a familiar tune. We started to sing, Set your Hearts on the Higher Gifts, and the music continues with "...on the things that come from the Maker in Heaven. These three gifts are all that remains, Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest is Love."
Wait a minute! I wonder what is the song for the "Presentation of the Gifts" last week. Like I said before, I sang so much I started to not pay attention to the songs we sang or the songs that we were going to sing. I know many of those songs by heart and plus we have a big choir (the things we take for granted), so in a way, I didn't pay attention to the songs on the list. I just sang them as usual.
I flipped back the pages to the list of songs from a week before. You cannot believe what I saw. It was Give Thanks another beautiful song for the "Presentation of the Gifts" a week earlier.
I sat there and a light bulb lit up in my head. A week ago, the "Presentation of the Gifts" song was Give Thanks and a week later, Set Your Heart On The Higher Gifts was the song for the "Presentation of the Gifts".
Notice the FIRST word of the title of the song from a week before was "Give" and the LAST word of the title of the song a week later was "Gifts." I chose "Give-Gifts" as the name for our business in the middle of the week between the singing of both songs without realizing it was part of a wonderful plan.
Lord, I realized this business is special. I don't know where the road will lead, but I knew there and then, that Give-Gifts is a special company.
Looking back in time, I have done everything I didn't plan to do with Give-Gifts. I realized, many people and businesses have been touched by Give-Gifts.
Praise God. If you're reading this, you're special. Be good. Go make someone's life special, in God's name. Do good and be good.
Thank you.