Black Friday is Almost Here!
“Mom, I want to do Black Friday this year! I want to wake up with the family EARLY and go!” my fifteen year old daughter announced to me this week. “I just love to get the paper on Thursday night and look at all the ads with everyone!”
Several thoughts crossed my mind:
#1) That is MY crazy family; we are spending Thanksgiving with Greg’s this year 🙂
#2) Is that Mariah’s memories of Thanksgiving? Sitting around looking at all the crazy deals that start at 4:30 a.m. the next day!
When I read this passage, I couldn’t help but think just how up-to-date the Bible is:
1 Corinthians 7:29 – 31 “…The time that remains is very short…Those who weep or rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will so pass away.” (NLT)
We are heading into the “crazy” season. The season when we loose our heads trying to be sure that we do not create any weeping and we do create joy all based on the giving or not giving of the right thing.
I have to admit, about the time that my oldest started middle school, I began to struggle with being a Scrooge. It seemed that no longer was the goal of gift giving to show my kids that they were loved and thought of on this special day; it was slowly turning into the avoidance of disappointment. I didn’t find any joy in trying to keep up with their ideas of what was the perfect gift and then trapezing around Charlotte in order to find it.
So, this weekend, I told my daughter, “I am making a commitment to enjoy this Christmas”. What does that mean for me? Focusing each and every day…possibly hour by hour…on Him. When my heart gets flustered and I don’t want to keep up with the demands of the season, I will choose to run to Him and ask for His grace so that I don’t become mean!
Paul tells us in verse 32 of that same chapter what we should be: “I want you to be FREE from the concerns of this life.” AWWWW….FREEDOM! Why does the Lord not want us to get wrapped up in the trappings of this spinning of the season? vs. 35 gives the answer “I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.” Even the good things can be distractions.
Father, Detach me! Detach me from this world. Detach me from the desires that I have that appear to be good but really are just distractions from You. Attach me to you. More of You. More of Your kingdom. More of Your ways. Attach me to things of eternal value; even when that means sacrifice (oh how I have a hard time with that one, Lord!) Continue to direct. Continue to confirm. Continue to strengthen my resolve to walk in Your Spirit and store up treasures in heaven. Only in You, Amen
Happy Thanksgiving! I’ll be taking Friday off and will be writing again on Monday, the 30th!
