Black Friday

My younger brother and I are out of our minds. Let me paint the scenario. It was Thanksgiving night, 2007 at 10pm. We were searching online for the “Black Friday” ads that had the best deals on GPS’s, IPODS, Flat Screens, Jewelry, Power Wheel 4-wheelers, and of course, WEBKINZ! We collapsed after hours of clicking and woke to the surreal shrill of the alarm at 4:30 am. There is very little I will wake up at 4:30 am to do, and shopping is far from my top 100!

We ventured out into the dreary morning (which is so early it is still considered night) and arrived early to Wal-mart, only to see sheer pandemonium, which we should have predicted! We were both so sleep-deprived and Starbucks-malnourished that we forgot the sales ad at the door and were navigating aimlessly through the cart-saturated store.

The great deals that last night were worth losing a night of sleep for were now being fought over and instantaneously lost their appeal. An elderly woman was running with her ad in hand towards the electronics department. Two moms nearly cornered me with their overstocked buggy and almost committed a hit-and-run, but luckily I ducked into the empty office supply aisle and avoided injury. Within ten minutes, my brother and I were both discouraged and disillusioned.

I think about what Christmas truly is about, and I realize in some small way that my brother and I were both right and wrong to ‘waste’ our morning over gifts.
We were wrong by placing so much importance on cheaply-priced material goods that try to express our love for our family and friends. Maybe spending more time the night before with company instead of wide-eyed in front of the computer would have been a better expression of our love.

But in another sense, we were also right. You see, it was worth it to us to lose sleep, to sacrifice a good breakfast, to put even our life in danger(!) to find the right gift. That is ultimately what Christmas is all about. 2000 years ago, God gave a gift that cost Him more than sleep, comfort, or a bonus paycheck. He gave His very Son. Jesus is so much more than a cool toy or nifty electronic device. Yet where are the lines of people waiting to receive this FREE gift?

Christmas is a time to thank God for the gift of Jesus, for it was also a Black Friday, 33 years after that night in the manger, when the sun stopped shining, and darkness came over the land. The Lamb of God was taking away the sin of the world, and receiving the punishment that you and I deserved.

Don’t forget this holiday season, when you are exchanging socks, blouses, wallets, and DVDs (though I do LOVE getting new socks!) with family and friends, to also make it a time where the true Gift is received and appreciated.

God gave His Son, and in comparison, is there any other gift more important this time of year?