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Black Friday - 4:00 A.M.

What does 4:00 A.M. "Black Friday Morning" look like to you? Over the years it has looked very different for me. The first "Black Friday" I remember was the one where I was standing in the parking lot of a Kohl's, coffee cup in hand at 4:00 A.M. shivering with what seem like a thousand other people. I remember looking over at the guy standing next to me and asking "Who are all these stupid people and what could they possibly be doing?"

What does 4:00 A.M. "Black Friday Morning" look like to you?  Over the years it has looked very different for me.  The first "Black Friday" I remember was the one where I was standing in the parking lot of a Kohl's, coffee cup in hand at 4:00 A.M. shivering with what seem like a thousand other people.  I remember looking over at the guy standing next to me and asking "Who are all these stupid people and what could they possibly be doing?"  He just responded with a dumbfounded scowl, so something I meant to be funny, he did not find the humor in it.  I was there with all these other "Black Friday" maniacs waiting for the doors to open so I could buy my son that $200.00 telescope for $99.00.  As the doors open the crowd starts pushing, fighting, and running inside and through the store putting all they could into the baskets along the way.  Lucky for me that telescope was right there just inside the door.  As I picked up the telescope and headed for the checkout I noticed there was already a line waiting to check out. How could it be?   I stood in line chest swelled out thinking "I did it" I have my prize, I came, I conquered, I am dragging my prize back home.  I just knew my son would be so excited Christmas morning when he saw this awesome telescope sitting under the tree.  I was also thinking of the hours we would spend looking up to the sky together marveling at the moon and planets.

As the years have passed I continued to go out on "Black Friday".  Also, as the years have gone by, retailers have starting beginning "Black Friday" on Thursday night.  I remember spending the first "Black Friday" after marrying Jaimi, the love of my life, in Thornton, Colorado visiting my brother and his wife.   A couple of things you should know about my wife, is she doesn't like to be cold and she didn't do mornings very well.  So as my brother's wife and I were making plans of all the stores we could hit starting at 10:00 P.M. Thursday and finishing hopefully by 10:00 A.M. "Black Friday" morning my wife was asking, "what have I gotten myself into?". 

After that first year spent in Colorado, we starting spending Thanksgiving in Hondo, Texas with her parents and our older children, where it is usually somewhere between 20 – 30 degrees warmer (Hondo 65 Degrees this morning as I am writing this).  We are also miles from the nearest Kohls or Bass Pro which had grown to be my favorite "Black Friday" store.  So I have traded getting up to go conquer my quest of the best bargains that all those retailers offer to sitting in a deer blind with my son waiting on the Trophy Buck to pass by (my wife makes and awesome venison chili).

This year is another first for me on "Black Friday".  We decided to stay home this Thanksgiving so we could spend it with our youngest son (my deer blind partner) who couldn't get off work to travel to Hondo.   Another first is we are celebrating Thanksgiving in our home with our oldest daughter and husband and 1 year old grandson who are visiting us from New Braunfels, Texas. 

As I was awoken this morning at 4:00 A.M., I thought I can be at Bass Pro before they open, standing in line to get a new pair of the flannel lined jeans and the Bass Pro sweatshirt that seemed to be the staples that I would brave the early brisk morning crazy lines of people for.  On second thought, this bed is warm, I think I will just turn over and sleep a little longer.  But as I lay there tossing and turning my mind wonders back to Wednesday night when our grandson Luke and family arrived.

Jaimi and I had spent the previous days running from store to home and back to store again until finally our last errand was done just 30 minutes before they arrived. It was during this trip that the weariness begin to creep into my heart.  These trips had included purchasing items we needed to finish up the remodeling projects we had started a couple weeks ago and to the Braums' to purchase an apple pie, that in the midst of all the food we made yesterday, still sits in the freezer this morning, waiting to be cooked.  All this to make sure everything would be "perfect" for the first Thanksgiving we would be hosting in our home.

The thought that caused me to rise from my slumber at 4:00 A.M this "Black Friday" morning is the memory of me holding Luke against my chest sitting in the rocking chair Wednesday night at 11:30 trying to comfort him enough so that he could go to sleep in a strange place.  He had been fighting sleep for a while and wasn't showing any sign of giving up the fight.  As I sat there rocking and praying over him for his future and for him to know God.  I thought I had finally done it.  He had quit crying and I knew he had fallen into a deep sleep there on my chest.  The reason I knew this was because I could feel his grip on me loosen and his heart beat begin to slow and match my heart beat as he laid against my chest.  When suddenly, he raised his head, and looked at me as to ask "Are you still there?"

I wonder how many times this holiday season God will say to me "I am still here."  I also wonder how many days I will walk through this season and forget to lift my head to seek Him,  rushing through  trying to get and do all the things I think I need to make my family and myself joyful.  Although, it is not the perfect house, or the amazing apple pie, or all the great bargains that "Black Friday" has to offer, that will create real and lasting joy.  My real joy comes only when I am seeking God on a daily, hourly, minute by minute basis.  God longs for us to seek a relationship with Him, just like we long for our kids, grandkids to have a relationship with us. 

So what is the best gift that we can give this season when are celebrating the birth of our Savior?  Be intentional in giving your time to your Heavenly Father.  As the Casting Crowns song Just Be Held reminds us "You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held."  When we can come to God, we can trust that we will find rest.  Matthew 11:28

So my challenge to myself this holiday season is to make some new memories and some new traditions, like spending time with God and writing/reflecting instead of rushing out to find all the great bargains that ends up leaving me feeling empty and stressed inside.  No matter how big the adrenaline rush I feel during the hunt for bargains or the "big buck", at the end of day, all I feel is weary and still looking for more.  Therefore, I am determined to seek the one who can satisfy my soul.  My Lord and Savior, thank You for all You have done for and given me.  I choose to lay my head on You to find rest.

I raise my cup of coffee this morning to celebrate Rest!!

John (Papa J)

Visitor Comments (1)

Blessings

Yes the grandkids and their shift skin and willingness to let us God them. I love that Johnny. I am so honored to have known you through these years. I am also very thankful for what he is doing in your life right now and with your family. I blog at https://realchange4u.wordpress.com, I hope you will stop by and visit sometime. I will be lifting you and Jaimi up to the Lord brother.I enjoyed your story very much.

Much love Tom

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john@edge-ministries.org

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jaimi@edge-ministries.org

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