Tip of My Iceberg

photo courtesy of Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Watching the news the day after Thanksgiving, I was more surprised that many still held to the tradition of showing up early for Black Friday specials. Some having stood in the cold since early Thursday evening.

The astonishment came because the internet has been touting Black Friday sales for weeks. No longer do we need to forgo sleep after a turkey dinner, when the tryptophan from the indulgence in the holiday meal has made folks sleepy and unfocused on identifying money-saving bargains. There isn’t a need to wait in line through the night, whether it’s cold or rainy or snowing. We can often shop from the comfort of our homes, in a cozy chair that makes spending cash a little less painful.

Not really.

Without thinking, I ventured out with a couple of family members for some intentional purchases, not remembering the particulars of the day.

I didn’t feel the pressure of buying because I really had nothing significant to buy. I was picking out unique ornaments for each of the grands, and the store we went to had all ornaments half off. We laughed ourselves silly because of the different animals we chose to reflect each child, from two months to twenty-two years of age.

We stopped for coffee, and as we passed other stores, we saw folks with loaded carts, parking lots filled, and a dearth of smiles on the faces of those we passed. Joy was sadly lacking.

With Thanksgiving only the day before, the attitude of gratitude seemed to be missing.

I’m not passing judgment on anyone who was out shopping. Christmas is a season of giving because of God’s greatest gift to us of His Son; He was born to show the compassion of God to man and died to offer us the grace of forgiveness. A gift of hope we all long for but don’t often know how to receive.

Instead we offer things to others to show our love and appreciation. We work hard at picking out what we hope will be enjoyed. There are other gifts we give because it’s expected–the company Christmas party where everyone has a secret Santa, buying another bottle of cologne for great Aunt Jane because it’s what we give her every year and she’s never said she doesn’t like it.

Finding the right gifts can be exhausting and frustrating, especially if what you want can’t be found. Or easily afforded.

God has a different way of viewing possessions. He chooses to invest in us, growing us to be better than we can be on our own. It means that we can take our focus off possessions for the short term and consider how to make a long-term investment for our own eternity.

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or–worse!–stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. Matthew 6:19-21.

Our hearts tend to connect with where we’re most invested. If it’s finances and possessions, we’ll guard those as if they meant everything to us. If it’s people, we’ll care deeply for them and put them before things. If it’s eternity with God and those we love, we’ll invest in His truth and share it with those we love.

At Christmas, so much seems to hinge on what we give and what we get.

Wouldn’t it be incredible to receive the greatest gift ever given and not have to worry about the stuff and clutter that fills much of life?

It’s why Jesus is a much better deal than any Black Friday bargain.