I’ve read lots and lots of books about marriage in recent years.

Actually, I recently started to make a list of all the ‘marriage’ books I had read, and off the top of my head could think of twelve. There may or may not have been more.

I like books.

And I tried.

And here we are.

But anyway. I was thinking of one particular principle from one particular book, which says basically that if your man wants to give you a gift, you should let him.

The author tells a story of a woman who needed a new oven. Being practical-minded, she picked out the most economical, basic bottom-of-the-line oven they had down at Sears.

She told her husband.

He went to buy the oven.

And instead of buying the cheap oven she had said she chosen, he bought her a fancy oven, one beyond their budget, with ALL the bells and whistles.

The wife rejected it. It wasn’t practical, and it was expensive, and besides, you don’t NEED all that extra stuff.

The husband was crushed.

He wanted to show his wife he loved her by buying her this oven; she demanded it be returned to the store and exchanged for the cheap oven.

She rejected his gift… and by doing so rejected him.

And he’ll think twice next time he wants to give her a gift, you can bet.

We all want to be loved in a sacrificial way… we want someone to love us so much that they will willingly give up what’s important to them, for us.

We all want to come first to someone…. to be their everything.

But when it comes down to it, its hard to let them.

Especially when you love them in return.

Especially when you know that the gift they want to give you comes with enormous, painful sacrifice on their part.

How do you let someone you love give to you until it hurts them?

Do you reject their gift, because out of your love for them you really don’t want to cost them that much?

Or do you take, knowing how much it costs?

Even though you want it. Deep down, you really, really want that oven… have always dreamed of that oven… and if you had that oven, you would love. that. oven.

But if you keep the oven, he might be paying on it for a long, long time to come. He might even have to give up something he really wanted to keep in order for you to have it.

But then, if you settle for the cheap oven…. are you going to spend the rest of your life wishing for the better oven? Ovens can last a long time, you know.

Love never asks more from someone than they’re willing to give.

But if they’re willing to give to you… is it really love if you take it?