Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Yesterday was the feast and now we prepare for Christmas. Well, many of you might already be mostly prepared for Christmas. Today is Black Friday.
I remember the one time that I had to work at Kohl’s on Black Friday. We opened up at Midnight on Thanksgiving. My schedule had me working until 10 a.m. the next morning. It was interesting as I had shopped once or twice on Black Friday. This was a crazy event. People were trying to get the right gift.
At different times, we have different deals and events. Only so many of these items were in the store. It was wild, yet I don’t want to work another Black Friday.
Amongst the shopping hoopla, it sometimes is difficult to become grateful. I am reminded of James 1:17. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Gratitude involves responding to gifts and giving gifts. While we are in the mode to buy and give gifts this month, take time to reflect on the good gifts and the perfect gift from above. Christ was born in a manger. God became human in flesh. What a power gift!
It goes further. Christ poured his life out for us and overcame death for us. While we might be looking for the perfect gift for our loved ones, remember the perfect gift has already been given to us in Christ’s life!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Remember the gift from above that became incarnate among us and still gives us life in the Holy Spirit. While we are here shopping like crazy on Black Friday, I am reminded of another Friday. It is called Good Friday, a black Friday when God gave us new life and died for us to experience this new life.
When you are out and about this weekend, think about what Christ has already done for us! This is the gift that is freely given and may be freely received.
Sometime this week, look in the mirror with the eyes of Christ upon your face. Remind yourself that Christ loves you. God freely gave you this life and ask Christ to guide your steps. The gift of Christ’s life and Christ’s life is the most perfect gift to us.
Joel Richter is Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Wilmington. This weekly column is provided to the News Journal on a monthly rotation basis by members of the Wilmington Area Ministerial Association (WAMA).
