The Gift of Your Time

Since Danny has already received his Valentine's Day present, I can tell you what it was. (He reads this every day and I'd hate to spoil the surprise!)

One of our traditions is chocolate for special events, so I gave him a plastic heart full of M&Ms. I'm sure it found its way to work today. I also made a Valentine, but my favorite part was what was tucked in the envelope with it.

Instead of buying some "thing" that will sit on a shelf or spending money on a short-lived gift, I gave my time.

I printed out eight love coupons and laminated them before putting them on a metal ring. Each one promises a special gift, event or activity - but each one has to be done together. And they're laminated to be reusable over and over again.

We also have a date for next weekend for our actual Valentine's Day celebration. It's hard to make plans when Danny's on call because the phone usually rings right in the middle of something special. And I'd hate to be grilling and he leave for a removal, leaving me to finish up by myself. We'll just wait until we have uninterrupted time together.

Oh, I could have purchased a huge stuffed tiger or a bouquet of balloons, but I wanted to give something more special. We've realized over the past few months how important our time together really is. We have no idea what God has in store for tomorrow, whether He'll take one of us or if we'll be raptured before the end of the day. That makes each moment with my husband so much more important.

So my Valentine's gift for Danny this year was designed specifically for taking the time to make the most of the day God has given. Each minute is a treasure and I want the two of us to treasure them together.

It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to be a special day with your husband. Just for today or tomorrow, for all next week or for the rest of your married life, make every minute with him special and tender. It takes time and effort to grow a marriage, and focusing on the Lord's blessing of life puts your time in perspective.

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