Give Gifts That Always Fit

Do you remember the worst gift you ever gave to someone?  I do.

I trusted the sales lady.  I should have known better.  It was a day when I was obviously distracted.  And worst of all, it was a gift for my wife, Mandy.

I know somewhere in the backrooms of the busy stores, there is a pot of money set aside each year.  To obtain the pot, the salesperson must get some innocent gift buyer to buy the worst gift possible.  As the person checks out, they gather all the other people and brag, "You won't guess what that poor guy just bought!"

So one Christmas early in our marriage, my darling wife, Mandy, wants a new coat for Christmas.  I make my way through the coat section knowing that the odds of me picking out a coat that she will not return are pretty much like the odds of me making a hole in one on the golf course.  But that will never stop me from trying.   I pick out a coat that I like.  It is then that I make the mistake.

I ask the saleslady to help me select the size of the coat.  You see, like most men, I have no idea what size clothes my wife wears.  My size knowledge is a limited vocabulary--small, medium, and large.  So I spend the next few seconds describing my beautiful wife with my vocabulary--small.  I know she would smile to hear me say this as she, like most women, does not view herself as small anymore.  After a woman has a child, this word seems to disappear from their vocabulary.

I like to think the coat was just missized on the tag rather than thinking of the saleslady out to claim the big jackpot in the back room.  Or maybe she got distracted.  Or perhaps she too had forgotten what the meaning of the word, small.  She gives me a size 12 coat.  To this day, I promise I heard it was a size 2.  Or at least that is my story!

Needless to say, my wife loved the coat until she saw ALL of the coat--it was not small.  In fact, we could have taken a family photo with all the family in it.   She was NOT amused.  Finally on New Year's day, I could return from the couch.

With this in mind, let me offer some gift suggestions that ALWAYS fit.  You might want to consider  these gifts!

A Letter of Appreciation or Thanks--spend time writing personal words of gratitude.  Make it deeply personal.  Attach a Hershey's kiss if it is for a family member.

Spend the Afternoon Together--pick a place where they like to go or do.  Make it clear that you are present in every way.

Do that which you have been putting off--surely in your life there are things you said you would do if you had the time.  Make the time.  Life is shorter than you think.

Visit the Nursing home--take a checkers game, an instrument if you play, or just a wonderful smile.  Walk the halls and hold a hand or two.  Someone's grandmother/grandfather would love to see you.

These gifts will cost you little but will give great rewards.  They will always fit.  More importantly, they are gifts that the Christ child loves to see given.

And finally to the lady that sold me the coat, I hope you at least gave a tithe to your church  from winnings!