black friday.

i was dreading today...black friday. its the worst day of the year, if you work in retail. there is no way to explain how maturity, kindness and patience vanish after the stroke of midnight...its baffling, really. nevertheless, i tried to subdue the nausea last night thinking about opening early to floods of stressed-out consumers. ha.

i was pleasantly surprised! we were slammed all day but in a good way. people were generally very patient and kind to each other (and us!). there were no cat fights at my checkout counters which has fully happened in years past; my staff was incredibly capable and focused today. what a blessing!

something i love about the Briargate store is that we're family. our staff is family and our customer base is so consistent that it feels like family. rarely does a day go by when i don't see a familiar face and likely they are someone who i know more personally than simply as a client. i love that.

as the holidays approach, i always get nostalgic. nostalgic for precious moments with family and friends; slowing down a little to savor sweet fellowship with those in your life whom you love. truly, there is nothing more meaningful than time. that's partly why i hate black friday-its completely unnecessary to be so obsessed with things right after supposedly spending the previous 24 hours relishing the non-tangible with grateful, humbled hearts. the deals aren't usually that great anyway. people get so caught up on the concept, its sickening. now, this is not a soapbox speech and this isn't meant to be a blanket statement about everyone out shopping on black friday. not at all. i'm all for a good deal...so don't take it the wrong way but i think everyone can admit that the entire approach has grown to be out of control!

if i had to choose a gift from someone over time with them, i'd choose the time. that is how our lives get knit into the lives of others who encourage, support and challenge us to become more Christlike. for that is truly what matters here...knowing Christ more. its all about Him and just like i'd choose time over a gift, so would He.

He wants us. simply us and all of us. our heart, our mind, our soul. this requires time. our offerings to him, however they come, mean nothing without our hearts and He can only have those if we give Him the time. He is everything. He knows me infinitely more intimately than i know myself; its mind-boggling to me because i AM me-ha. i always think i've got a pretty good handle on my own heart and mind yet He clearly is the victor. it is my choice to acknowledge that or not.

so as black friday 2011 comes to a close, i think i'll pass on the great deals; instead, i will sit grateful and humbled by the tremendous love and perfect intimacy that awaits if i choose to give the gift of time to the One who created it. it will undoubtedly prove to be the best bang for my buck. :)