PRICELESS…

Two plastic outdoor chairs - $40

A new steam iron - $50

One stuffed toy puppy dog - $20

A reading lamp and three puzzle books - $25

The thought, love and meaning behind each gift – PRICELESS!

My husband is a champion in the gift giving department. Long term readers may remember how he gave me “The Perfect Gift” (FP??) one birthday, long before we were married. At the time I was a bit disappointed that the two outdoor chairs for my front patio, were not the diamond ring I had been hoping for, but those chairs became our favourite spot for a cuppa and a chat… So really, the gift that he gave all those years ago was so much more than two outdoor chairs. Lawrence gave us the gift of communication, vital to any healthy relationship or marriage.

Lawrence just seems to have a knack for thinking of a gift that is especially meaningful to me. Sometimes it may seem a peculiar present to others, but not to us. One Valentine’s Day he surprised me with a new iron. This may seem the ultimate chauvinistic gift to some, but at the time we were really strapped for cash and he knew how much our old iron was annoying me. A new iron made my life so much easier, and I really hadn’t been expecting a gift for Valentine’s at all!

Sometimes, the gifts are for no reason. I was feeling quite low and lonely last year, as Lawrence had exams coming up and was overwhelmed with study. Despite the pressure he was under, Lawrence picked up on the feelings I was struggling to hide and brought home a very special gift – Sophie Snuggles! Sophie is a large stuffed puppy, which he explained was to keep me company and give me somebody to cuddle on those long nights when he had to study. Awwwww!

For Christmas, Lawrence gave me a reading lamp and three crossword and word puzzle books. He had taken notice weeks earlier when I’d made a passing comment about how difficult I was finding it to read in the lounge room. Now I have my own little corner of the lounge where I can read or do puzzles with ease. Heaven!

Lawrence isn’t perfect. After nearly 17 years of marriage he still hasn’t learnt that dirty socks go in the laundry basket, but I really treasure the way he makes me feel so loved and adored all year round, especially on birthdays and other special occasions. It’s a real gift (pardon the pun!)

Have you ever received a very special gift?  Perhaps it was not worth much in money terms, or other people may have even thought it was strange! We’d love to hear about it … check out our great comp on our Updates page for more!

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.