Christian Gifts for Someone Going Through a Hard Season
A christian gift for someone going through a hard season should say less than you want it to say. The Leatherius Psalm 147:3 makeup bag – full-grain leather stamped "He Healeth The Broken In Heart", $59.50 – carries the verse for grief without adding a sentence of your own, which is usually the kindest thing an object can do. The King James line behind it is short enough to sit in the room quietly: "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."
Match the verse to the situation
| Situation | Verse | Piece | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bereavement, a widow | Psalm 147:3 | Makeup bag | $59.50 |
| A funeral, quietly | Psalm 23:4 | Men's wallet | $54.50 |
| Chronic illness, chemotherapy | 2 Corinthians 12:9 | Leather journal | $51.00 |
| A long stretch with no end in sight | Lamentations 3:23 | Leather journal | $51.00 |
| Divorce, a job loss | Isaiah 43:2 | Makeup bag | $59.50 |
| Exhaustion, a caregiver | Matthew 11:28 | Leather journal | $51.00 |
| Anxiety, fear | Psalm 27:1 | Leather journal | $51.00 |
| Something small, given in a waiting room | Lamentations 3:23 | "Faithful" keychain | $21.90 |
The grief verses
Psalm 23:4 is what gets read at the funeral: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." It sits on a $54.50 men's wallet in Caramel, a $59.50 makeup bag in Sangria and a $43.50 passport cover in Forest Green. Give it a week or two after the service rather than at it, when the house has emptied out.
For a loss that has no ceremony attached to it, including a miscarriage, John 11:35 is the whole of what needs saying. The $49.50 iPhone case stamps "Jesus Wept", which is the entire verse. Psalm 30:5 on the $59.75 jewelry box stamps "Joy Cometh In The Morning", from "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning". Both let the recipient decide how much of it to accept today.
Illness, and the verse about weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9 is the one people in long illness tend to keep: "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." The $51 journal in Black stamps "My Grace Is Sufficient For Thee". A journal earns its place here because treatment involves a great deal of waiting, and there is something to do with the hands.
Lamentations, for a season that has gone on too long
Lamentations 3:22 and 3:23 are the two halves of the same sentence and they are on two separate journals. Verse 22 stamps "His Compassions Fail Not" on a $51 journal in Country Gray, from "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." Verse 23 stamps "New Every Morning" on a $51 journal, from "They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Verse 23 is the one for a caregiver, a single mother, or anyone whose difficulty arrives again every day rather than once. The "Faithful" keychain at $21.90 carries the same reference in Blush, Dark Espresso or Fuchsia, which is the version to give when a larger gift would feel like pressure.
What to give when you barely know them
A friend of a friend in the hospital, a coworker whose parent died, a woman at church going through a divorce nobody is discussing. In every one of these, size is the message. A $21.90 keychain can be accepted without obligation. A $59.50 bag from someone on the edge of a person's life asks for a response they do not have. Psalm 46:1 on the $54.50 wallet in Country Gray, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble", sits at the upper end of what is comfortable to give.
Verses to think twice about
Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 are true and they are also the two most commonly handed to grieving people, which is why they can land as a correction rather than a comfort. Both are in the Grace Collection if the person has asked for them. For anyone else, Psalm 147:3 and Lamentations 3:23 say the same thing without appearing to explain the loss. Our companion piece on Isaiah 41:10 gifts for a hard time covers the fear-not verses, and understated christian gifts that are not preachy covers keeping the stamp quiet.
FAQ
What verse do you give someone who is grieving?
Psalm 147:3, "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds", or Psalm 23:4 for a funeral. Both name the pain rather than explaining it away.
What is a good christian gift after a miscarriage?
Something small with almost no text. The John 11:35 iPhone case at $49.50 stamps "Jesus Wept" and the "Faithful" keychain at $21.90 carries Lamentations 3:23. Say nothing more than the verse says.
Is a journal a good gift for someone who is ill?
Often, yes. The 2 Corinthians 12:9 journal at $51 gives someone something to do through long stretches of waiting, and the verse is about weakness rather than recovery.
Should I avoid Jeremiah 29:11?
Avoid it unless they have asked for it. It is a promise about a future that a person in the middle of a loss may hear as a request to hurry up and feel better.
