Some Last-Minute Gift Ideas

How many times have you spent a great deal of time and given much thought to a gift for a child only to watch that child play with the box more than what was in the box? Have you ever bought or received something as a gift and then have found it later in a drawer or hidden away somewhere unused (or used very little)? Have you reached the age and/or stage in life where you tell your family to not buy you any gifts because you either realize that you have everything you really need and/or that you can get what you might want for yourself?

Gift giving can be very stressful. This entire time of the year can be very stressful.  

For those reasons I’ve taken the time to provide just a few gift ideas that cost nothing monetarily. Not only are they last-minute ideas, some of them may not take longer than a minute to give. At the same time, after the new wears off of what we may have spent a great deal of time and money on, they will be remembered fondly.

So – here’s my list. Maybe you can add to it.

• A hug is often associated with romance. However, “just a hug” can let a person know that you care in so many ways.
• A handshake can let a person know that they are more than merely “another face in the crowd.”
• A listening ear may be just what somebody needs. He or she may need somebody with which to share struggles, disappointments, joys, etc. It may not be necessary, by the way, to add any commentary or insights of your own. Sometimes it means the world for people to have somebody to just listen.
• A look in the eye may let somebody know that you really are interested in them, what they are saying, what they are doing, etc. I’ve read that one of the secrets of the success of one of our former presidents is that he could make a person feel like they were the only person in the room when, in fact, there were many people in a room. 
• A pat on the back can let a person know that you are supportive, encouraging, and a host of other things.
• A smile can go a long way in helping to brighten a person’s day. This seems to work especially well with older people and young children. An added benefit is that a smile makes you feel better as well.
• A tear lets somebody know that you are sharing the emotions with which they are dealing with them. While tears seem to be most often connected to sorrow, you can also show that you are sharing in another person’s joy. Either way, you are making an important connection.
• As is the case with a hug, a wink can be associated with romance (maybe flirting), but that is not always the case. A wink can let somebody know that you have confidence in them. If we are not in a position to communicate in words that “you’ve got this,” a wink can communicate that same message.
• “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Prov. 25:11)

As I said earlier, these are just a few ideas that came to my mind. You may have many, many more “gift ideas” than this short list.  

I’ve just chosen these in an attempt to remind all of us that things aren’t nearly as important as people. I guess that all of what I’ve written could be summed up in one thought. Maybe the best gift I can give is myself – my time, my energy, my interest, and my heart.

Long after the material gifts lose their value, those things will keep increasing in value.

In case you haven’t already thought of this, there is at least one other thing that can be said about this list. They are not seasonal. They are appropriate at any time of the year.

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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn