The Flashlight and The Coat - A Little Story For You

 Happy Friday, Friends!

Things are looking up slightly around here. The plumbing is working (for now), so I'm counting that a blessing. David is having some relief in his rib injury, so that's a blessing and my kids in Tennessee FaceTimed me last night, so that was the highlight of the whole week. Today I am going to see Morgan and the boys and that will be a sweet delight, so I'm counting all of these things as gifts from the Lord. 

But I wanted to share a story with you today, one that reminded me of a story I actually wrote about in my book Notes From a Writer's Heart. 

We listened to a preacher on Sunday and he told a story of a Christmas gift he kind of resented when he was a young boy. He said that every year his father would buy him a coat as a Christmas gift. It would be wrapped and under the tree, like the rest of the gifts, but he could always tell that it was another coat. Now, as a young boy, you probably wouldn't put "coat" on your list of gifts you want for Christmas, but nevertheless, he received one every single year. 

One day he was brave enough to ask his dad about this ritual and even share his honest feelings about how he was annoyed by this gift every year. It was then that his dad shared his own story of being very poor growing up and never having a coat to wear. His purpose in gifting his son a coat year after year, was to make sure that his own son never had to go without a new coat. 

What a beautiful picture of how a parent should want to care for their child.

And it reminded me of a gift my step-mom, Ruby, would give us each year, after David and I got married. Every year she would buy us a flashlight. After a few years of this, we would just chuckle and say "another flashlight!" and take it home, put it in the drawer until we needed one. 

When you're young, newly married, having babies and living on next to nothing, you can think of a lot of things you might need more than another flashlight. But year after year, there it would be. 

It wasn't until she passed away that I missed those flashlights. She was looking out for us in a small way; a way that meant something to her and she wanted to pass that safety on to us. And with all the storms we've lived through here on the Gulf Coast, you can't have too many flashlights! 

🔦

As Christmas comes around, gift giving is one of the most stressful parts for me. The world is so accessible now and most people just have what they want, when they want it. But these are the kinds of gifts that stick with you. The ones that may seem too practical, too boring, not flashy enough. But maybe they're the kind that have more meaning behind them than you think. 

🎁

Have you ever received a series of gifts like the coat or the flashlight? Something practical that wasn't too exciting when you got it, but would trade all the nonsense to have just one more?

I would love to hear your stories 💛

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!