Something to Remember This Black Friday

Black Friday. When I was a little girl, it was one of my favorite days of the year. The only day I’d willingly jump out of bed at four or five in the morning, hurriedly get ready, and ride with my mom through the dark to JoAnne Fabrics.

We started there because they had free gift doorbusters. Then we’d head over to Fred Meyer’s for the free donut holes and juice, and we’d finish off with Michael’s and the Bentley Mall (called the Bentley Hall by Alaskan locals due to its unimpressive size).

Black Friday was more than just deals. It was tradition. It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling and a thrill of excitement for a fun time with my mom.

Now, my Black Friday deal-finding is mostly done online and scattered through a couple of thrift stores with great price slashes. And this year, even as an adult, I’m planning on going with my mom.

Three Responses

When I hear others talk about Black Friday, it’s often from one of three vantage points:

• It’s a repulsive day full of greed and overspending
• It’s an exciting sales day where Christmas gifts and long-awaited items can be found for a fraction of the price
• Or, who cares (this would be my husband)?

I personally come from, you guessed it, the exciting sales day of Christmas gifts and items I’ve been waiting to go on sale for opinion. But whichever view you’ve taken, or if you have one I didn’t mention, I’d like to encourage you to keep being thankful on this Black Friday.

Thankful you don’t have to shop sales to purchase the things you want or need. Thankful you can have a fun day with family or friends. Thankful for sales that enable you to check off someone’s Christmas Wishlist. And maybe thankful that someone else does all the shopping for you. 😄

We Can Be Thankful for More Than the Material

Aside from material thankfulness, I would like to encourage you to also do a little introspection. Maybe a fancy Christmas with all kinds of presents under the tree isn’t in the cards this year. Maybe anxiety or depression has crept in with the dark of winter, or maybe you’re feeling the stress of a tight budget and a long list of basic necessities that still need to be taken care of. Maybe you know you’ll be tempted to overspend this season and then regret it later.

The reality of this season isn’t Christmas presents, perfect decorations, or delectable food. As my eight-year-old said the other day, “It feels wrong that we’re going to get a bunch of presents when the whole point is Christ coming to Earth.”

And even though my mama heart fully enjoys being “Mama Claus,” I reminded her that gifts are traditionally part of the season because of the Wisemen’s gifts to Jesus, and because it’s supposed to be about giving sacrificially like Christ (and not getting).

But then I paused for a moment. I sort of had to agree with her. Sometimes it does feel wrong. It’s so important as Christ-followers to keep our eyes on Him at all times of the year, but especially when we proclaim to the world that that’s exactly why we’re doing what we’re doing.

God Supplies Our Needs

One of my favorite childhood Christmases was the year we didn’t have a Christmas tree, and my main gift was a handful of Riesen chocolate. We had disposed of our old, worn-out tree the year before and were on a tight budget when the new holiday season hit.

My mom was gone right before Christmas because my Oma was sick in the hospital, and we didn’t know if she’d make it home in time to celebrate. You know those fake trees everyone used to have in the corners of their entryway or living room? I wrapped a couple up in lights and decorated them. My mom made it home for Christmas, and I didn’t care about fancy gifts or decorations. We were cozy, and we were together.

The holiday season is a time to be thankful for the family and friends we have, the gift of Christ’s salvation, and the fact that God didn’t think so highly of Himself that He wouldn’t come down to where we are.

Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Not only the physical (like He clothes the lilies in Luke 12:22), but also the spiritual, emotional, and social needs we have. All of them.

Let’s take a moment to thank God today for His bountiful goodness, generous forgiveness, and outstanding care for each of us in every situation.