Ready, Set...SHOP!

Driving into the Wal-mart parking lot in the still dark hours of the morning, the line of people already winds the full length of the building. Late again, I guess we won't be one of them getting a free squeeze toy at the door.

But we're here to grab the deals, and boy is that exciting. It's kind of like a hunt I guess. There's a rush of adreniline as you make your dash through the door, bee-lining the department with that neat item priced %75 off, hoping to get there before they are all gone.

Yes. Jesus is the reason for the season. Yes, yes, I want to make him most important. No, no, the gifts and all, they mean nothing. Really. We do it for the kids.

I tell you what, though. Through our years as Christians, we've listened to all sides and tried all things. We had friends that used to do theit gift giving on Thanksgiving in order to focus their family totally on Christ for Christmas. Guess what. They're kids are all grown now and like to spend Christmas just like the rest of America does.

We've also had friends that figured trying to spend Christmas in a Christian way was not only impossible, but wrong. Christ was actually born in the spring, when the shepherds were watching their sheep at night (for newborn lambs) and December 25th was only chosen as a date in order to distract the pagans from their traditional holiday, which was on December 25th. So this family figured it was actually wicked to celebrate Christ's birth on that day.
hmmmm.

Anyway, we did try making Christmas a day to focus on Christ instead of gifts. And I was miserable. Not for myself, but for the kids. I guess the tradition is just engrained in me. I can't enjoy it anyother way. The next year, we tried to do it again. I held out all the way till Christmas Eve. Then I couldn't stand it. We rushed out and spent hundreds of dollars all in one night. And hey, we didn't get the sales prices I love so dearly.

So yes. I am going to be out there the day after Thanksgiving with the rest of them. Getting my sale prices, and enjoying my holiday. Just as I know that my Lord and God would love me to.
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