Dear LFTP: gift-giving that never gets returned
- Is gift-giving supposed to be reciprocal, and how do I handle someone who refuses to give?
A listener is frustrated that a friend refuses to give any gifts for birthdays or Christmas while happily receiving them. The hosts reframe the question: if you like giving gifts, keep giving, because it's not a bargain where you get what you put in. The hosts riff that the man's love language is his own name whispered in his ear and imagine him with a tasteful nude of himself above the fireplace, dubbing him Chad. The Secular answer is read: if the situation were fine he wouldn't have written, so have a long-overdue talk with his daughter about one-way thoughtfulness. The hosts push back, saying thoughtfulness can absolutely be a one-way street and other people will let you down, which is why you worship a God who will not.
More on Generosity
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Dear LFTP: the $4,200 loan that never came back
- How do I get past the sadness over the $4,200 loan my friend never repaid — do I just let it go?
The final Dear LFTP letter: a year ago a supposed friend asked to borrow money — her husband had left the country to renew his visa, her car was repossessed, she had no way to get to work.
From No. 603 · Found Out
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Dear LFTP: the $600 lawnmower and buying them a mower
- My nephew's wife took my $600, lied about it, and is avoiding me. Should I say something or let it go?
Mike reads a letter from someone who gave a nephew's wife $600 for a self-propelled lawnmower; she spent it, never bought the mower, and now avoids them.
From No. 587 · Coffee After Sunday
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Dear LFTP: the neighbor Tim and boundaries without guilt
- How can I end the friendship with my difficult neighbor Tim without sending him into a spiral?
Mike reads a letter from a self-described clean-freak friend of a hoarding, narcissistic, government-program neighbor named Tim: how to end the friendship without sending Tim into a spiral.
From No. 582 · Risky Business | Christian Risk-Taking, Community Engagement, Faith in Action
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Dear LFTP: the $99 birthday bill and "Jesus always pays"
- Was it wrong to be taken aback when I was expected to split the cost of a friend's birthday dinner?
Mike reads a letter from a man invited to a friend's birthday dinner at a popular restaurant: after the birthday boy excused himself, the waiter presented the bill and the nine…
From No. 580 · Not Sure | Old Testament Law, Holy Spirit Guidance, Christian Discernment