I Remember Depending On My Wife

article by PAUL LIPE
opinion expressed is that of the writer

I REMEMBER, how easy it used to be to do Christmas-gift shopping. That was before my wife succumbed to her battle with cancer. Prior to that, for over 50 years, all I had to do was to give her a credit card and she did the rest.  Regularly, now, I am discovering numerous ways in which I depended on her to handle, or to help me handle, all sorts of things that needed to be done.  I miss her a bunch, and Christmas shopping magnifies my loneliness. As much as I dislike paying off my credit card expenses, I would gladly exchange that for the gift-purchasing responsibility she managed for years.  Besides, I still have to settle up with the credit card company!  Blessed is the man who has a spouse to cope with the decisions relative to which gift is “right” for which recipient.  

Please don’t misunderstand me.  I am not adverse to buying and giving gifts.  To the contrary, I WANT to give presents to my loved ones; I am just so inept at making decisions about what to give. When my wife did the search for the “just-right” gift, the responses to her choices made it evident that she had made the right decisions. With my selections, not so much!  So, what is a fellow to do?

As I see it, there are not a large bunch of options available to me.  One possible path would be not to bother with shopping for my family – to just forego the custom of giving presents.  However the more I ponder that route, the less appeal it holds for me.  I cannot bear the thought of seeing the pained expression on the face of my youngest granddaughter should she find no gift from me under the Christmas tree. The older grands might hide their disappointment, but I dare not take a chance with sweet Lilly.  That rather foolish possibility must be discarded.

Another way of coping with my dilemma would be to give gift cards or money. I’ve been told that young folks can always use a little extra cash, and I have gone that path a few times, but I cannot get over the feeling that such an approach borders on a way of thinking that is unworthy of my family and their importance to me.  They deserve better!

Perhaps I ought to revive the practice of furnishing the credit card and getting someone more capable than I am to make at least some of the selections for me.  The one who comes to mind is a very experienced shopper who can hold her own against the best “purchasers” in the whole world.  She learned from her mother (my wife), and she not only had the best teacher, she was a very able “student!” With her as my partner, I can be confident that all will go well and that all will be pleased on Christmas morning. So, “daughter of mine,” just let me know when you are ready for the credit card!

While our focus is on Christmas gifts, let me encourage us to give some thought to the very best Christmas Gift ever – the Gift of Jesus, the Savior for the world. Of all the Christmas gifts that have been given, absolutely none can compare to this first Christmas Gift.  The impact of that Gift has been, and continues to be, incomparable.  Listen to what the Scripture says about Him: “The wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). The good that has come to millions of those who have placed their faith in Him cannot be measured.  “Thank God for His unspeakable Gift.” (II Corinthians 9:15)

Have a Merry Christmas and may God’s gift add to the joy of this special season.