He ne'er consider'd it as loth
To look a gift-horse in the mouth,
And very wisely would read more

He ne'er consider'd it as loth
To look a gift-horse in the mouth,
And very wisely would lay forth
No more upon it than 'twas worth;
But as he got it freely, so
He spent it frank and freely too:
For saints themselves will sometimes be,
Of gifts that cost them nothing, free.

Take gifts with a sigh: most men give to be paid.

Take gifts with a sigh: most men give to be paid.

Love's gift cannot be given, it waits to be accepted.

Love's gift cannot be given, it waits to be accepted.

For the will and not the gift makes the giver.
[Ger., Denn der Wille
Und nicht die read more

For the will and not the gift makes the giver.
[Ger., Denn der Wille
Und nicht die Gabe macht den Geber.]

And wisest he in this whole wide land
Of hoarding till bent and gray;
For all you read more

And wisest he in this whole wide land
Of hoarding till bent and gray;
For all you can hold in your cold, dead hand
Is what you have given away.
. . . .
He gave with a zest and he gave his best;
Give him the best to come.

Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion read more

Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.

Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.

Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.

'Presents,' I often say, 'endear absents.'

'Presents,' I often say, 'endear absents.'

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because read more

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.