Don’t Let the Holidays Prompt You
In the next 7 days, Valentine’s Day will be upon us. You know that day where red roses and chocolate candies are at a premium. Red, pink and white colored stuffed animals are nowhere to be found. If you’re lucky, you may catch a last minute deal from an ambitious vendor ready to get rid of cheesy Valentine’s Day merchandise. Perhaps Valentine’s Day will be your cue to make dinner reservations in a show of affection.
We’ve all been subject to it at one point in time. Some of us may still be driven by the urge to do something, to give something because a holiday prompts us to do so. That tends to create stressors and anxieties that we don’t need. For some, it may present a financial dilemma which can lead to a whole different brand of stress and anxiety.
We want to encourage that if you choose to do absolutely nothing or purchase absolutely nothing for your spouse/significant other on Valentine’s Day (or any other holiday), it is okay.
If your relationship is built upon gift giving then we warn you may be in some trouble. If your feelings toward your spouse/significant other are dependent upon the types of gifts you expect to receive. Again, WARNING!
We challenge you to look for daily opportunities to give gifts. Gifts don’t have to be tangible or expensive. 1 Peter 4:10 Your gifts can take the form of your time, talents and resources. There doesn’t need to be a big production around gift giving. Matthew 6:4 Gift giving should be simple, heartfelt and spirit led. When you begin to look and act upon opportunities to give gifts, then you will receive in equal if not greater measure. Gift giving will become more natural and you’ll eventually realize that a holiday is just a day. We’re not rejecting Valentine’s Day or any other holiday. Rather, we want to encourage you to not be prompted into action just because of a holiday.
There have been times where our best holiday celebrations have involved an exchange of a box of our favorite candies; purchase of our favorite food; something sentimental; or perhaps no gift at all. Over time we have grown into the habit of ignoring holiday prompts in favor of random gift giving and it has definitely helped to keep our marriage fun and exciting.