I was licking my wounds yesterday and subconsciously refrained from putting out a post because of my own humility. 😉 Let me explain…
Black Friday shopping used to be ‘fun’ for me. I know, I know. I’m crazy. But I love being up in the middle of the night and I love a good bargain. I mean, I’m queen of bargain shopping. I thrive for a deal. If I find something that is worth $50 and I get it for $5 I’m not the person that lets others think I paid the $50, I brag about paying $5! 🙂 So, normally black Friday is my way to shop. I get it all planned out where I’m going, exactly what I’m looking for and if I get it how much I would have saved. But for some reason this Friday I wasn’t into it as much. I found many deals already on line (Whoa, now how exciting and easy was that!! Especially with free shipping…) so there wasn’t a big ‘list’ that I needed to get. However, Neal had his eyes set on this TV at Target. He was like the kid on Christmas Story wanting the Red Rider BB Gun. It was a 42″ HD flat screen TV for our game room and it was 1/2 off! Okay, so for 1/2 off I was willing to wait and get this item. I looked for other items so the trip wouldn’t be entirely in vain and saw a few things that were on my list and 1/2 off as well.
At 2:30am I got up and stepped outside into 40 degree weather and it was raining. Hesitating and almost going back inside to crawl back into bed I took a deep breath and decided, “No, this is worth it.” I grabbed Neal’s big golf umbrella from his car and headed to the Target in Atoscocita. I arrived at about 2:45am and there were people CAMPED OUT literally with tents by the door. My spirits fell but I held strong. At this point I was wide awake (cold does that to you) and so I made it to the end of the line. For over an hour I stood in the freezing rain, praying the rosary and then listening to other people’s conversations. Finally, it was 4:00am and the line began to move. They were only allowing a few in at a time to avoid a clamouring at the door. By the time I made it into the store it was 4:15am (and I was relatively far up ahead in line )but by the time I made it to the TV section I was literally 2 people from getting my TV!!! Two people!!! Then I started to see that some people had 2 TVs in their cart! Oh I was angry. That isn’t fair. 🙁
I let it go, now looking for the other items I wanted to find. I couldn’t find them! At this point I was wanting out of that store and I knew I needed to go straight to adoration and sit at my Father’s feet to help me take away the anger over a material thing and recognize that life just is not worth a TV!!!! 🙂 I pushed my cart away and walked out the door at 4:20am and saw that the line was still a mile long! I was almost to my car when I realized that I left Neal’s golf umbrella in the cart. The umbrella alone was worth $80!!! I went back to go retrieve the umbrella but they wouldn’t let me back into the store. I had to wait at the end of the line. Dejected I walked to my car, letting the umbrella go to one lucky new owner (who probably had a TV too!…) and went to adoration.
The message in My Daily Bread that morning: “Your unreasoning nature wants more than what is necessary. In order to become the master of your life rid yourself of all unnecessary desires. Learn to live with less and you will have more time for me.” 🙂
I spent time ‘adoring’ my Father who always offers mercy when I need it most. I am so glad that I know Him.
Spending time with Him is spending time with my family. We worked together yesterday to put up Christmas decorations. It took all day long but I love it and it is a taste of the kids creativity and a little of my bargains. 🙂 Today I have the joy of seeing my sister and my nephews (who are so adorable I want to eat them up!) and just now, as I’ve been typing this entry, a funny gift was given:
Neal came into the office on the phone and he said, “Hey, my friend Dennis got that TV you were wanting at Target. They went to put it in their entertainment center today and it doesn’t fit. He wants to know if you want to buy it from him for the price you would have gotten it yesterday.” Honestly, a part of me wanted to say ‘no’…I mean we don’t need it. But I know it is Neal, Ryan & Seth’s Christmas gift and how could I ignore this change of fate? 😉
Wow, I don’t want to be like ‘Oh God gave us a TV’…NOOOOOO God gave me a lesson in letting things go and taking more time to walk away from them to be with HIM. In fact, I think this next year I’m going to figure out what else I can ‘get rid of’ in order to make more time for Him. Not just during Lent but as a life style change.
I won’t say ‘never again’ to black Friday (I know never to say never) but I am walking away from it for awhile. 🙂
Blessings
Shannon