The Thankful Face of Black Friday

At 4:00 a.m., the alarm jangled me out of a sound sleep. I dragged from my warm bed. Why had I let my daughter talk me into joining the hordes of pre-Christmas shoppers at this ungodly hour? I dressed, fixed my hair and makeup. You bet I wore makeup! Sipped a quick cuppa joe and we were off to the fray.

Rush hour traffic at 4:45 a.m. Parking lots crammed--Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, JC Penneys, Old Navy, World Market, Fred Meyers. We found a parking slot and, slipping past television news cameras, joined sock-shoppers at Fred Meyers--then off to toys and videos.

Long lines coiled in front of every cash register. And the shoppers were . . . friendly and patient, co-conspirators against an angry economy. On this day after Thanksgiving, may I continue to be thankful for:

• health that allows me to get up and go!
• my daughter who prompts me to get out of bed and sally forth!
  
• strangers who embrace one another in their attempts to bring joy to their loved ones!
• God who made us, sustains us, and gives us hope for a future centered on the Giver rather than gifts!

May God bless you this Christmas season and cause you to hunger for a future with Him.