We drive around for half an hour. Looking for parking at an open air mall that calls us….because neighbors and friends continually keep asking…..
Are you going shopping?
The big day. The big thing. Buying more than needed. Caught up in the hurricane that roars in desperate silent pleadings……
“What you have is not enough.”
And I am drawn in…..as usual.
Though, after coming back from China…..I swore the noise of material storms…..would not overtake me.
Yet, how do you resist, in a culture of…..”We need.”
The times of buying becoming part of our identity.
While logos. And name tags. And brands easily equating…… us……with some unspoken rank…..in society.
……Our possessions buying love.
And yet, in other countries, love is found in humble things.…
In looking to others and thinking…..how can I give sacrificially, surrender time, talents, or money?
Because that’s what love does…..gives freely. Not out of compulsion…..but appreciation.
And so……
I wonder if our whirlwind of shopping and giving and wrapping and purchasing…..is really an attempt to buy acceptance?
Though scrambling for parking places…..and digging in empty purses…..never truly suffices.
I want the love that has no cost. That can’t be bought. That is not conditional on what our culture taught.
I want a love that’s real……And wonder where we got lost?
The buying our way to humble places……
While our King….the possessor of everything……set aside the riches of heaven…..so our sins could be forgiven.
A humble King giving up everything….so that we can live.
And yet, what can we give to pay our debt? Is not His love…..a gift…..offered as we repent?
And I want to see a world that loves without price.
That gives freely…..of more than material things……but, surrender…..and sacrifice.
And I remember the one…..the foolish one…..who wanted to buy, the Holy Spirit, for a price.
But, Simon couldn’t pay enough. For love….true love….has no price.
Yet, is that often not why we buy…..things we can’t afford, with money we don’t have…..for people we struggle to love?
And I ask…..
Why? Why am I scrambling for countless gifts…..when there are children…..in Africa…..or China…..dying…..because they don’t have enough?
And I think…..
Christ, if He came back…..to show us what Christmas was…..would He be at the mall? Shopping?
Or at the feet of the hopeless? Feeding the homeless? Mending the broken?
Because……
Perfect love lays willingly before others……not with material gifts and treasures. But, as a servant…..
Surrendered. Giving of more than the material….but the eternal.
While wrapping endless presents. Thinking…is this Christmas?
What are we missing?
Could it be….just possibly…..as I run to yet, another store…..looking for the perfect gift….
Could it be…..all that we really need….
Is Jesus?
Linking w/ Shanda & Tracy & Angela & Women Living Well
16 Comments
Jen..Jen..Jen…wonderfully written…I have journeyed down many a path ponder this question…I have swung the pendulum wide…making lasting memories…to none at all…don’t know if we will ever truly land on level land in this world of Christmas…but there is always freedom that comes from the asking…letting God teach us through every winding path…
Just this morning…my pray…to be a giver…not a giver to get…but a giver because that is Who He is…
thanks for this post…
blessings to you Jen…
Ells – I so loved what you said! All extremes need not apply. What matters is not the giving amount or whether we shop or not….but the heart and the spirit in what we give. And that through searching our hearts on the matter….we may look more like Christ. Thanks for sharing such truth, my friend! Blessings as always… ~ jen
Your title caught my eye and your post captured my heart. Thank you!
Feeling conflicted while being in not of is part of life here on Earth… your post captured my heart’s cry. I want more Jesus, not more stuff!
Kristi
http://homeschoolingandotheradventures.blogspot.com/
Awesome thought here. We do love to shop and yes, Jesus would shop too. I have taken Him along with me many times, to help me select just the perfect gift.! 🙂
Love this! 🙂
I agree with every word you’ve written.
Beautiful!
Beutiful…absolutely beautiful. My thoughts as well, but you so eloquently described it. May I link to this post on my blog?
Blessings,
Michelle
Kristi – My thought exactly…..more Jesus….not more stuff. So glad this post touched you right where you are today. Thanks for the visit.
Joyful….I get what you are saying about taking Jesus shopping w/ you. I have post on that, it’s not quite finished yet, though. Thanks so much for your comment and thoughts.
Praises – All Glory to Him!
A Soulful Life – Glad we can relate, my friend.
Michelle – Absolutely. You always have the go ahead, to link to me. Thank you so much! I just love following your journey! Your heart is amazing!
J-yes, this is the real question. Our Lord needs us to turn to Him. I have been feeling this exact pressure. Our church is addressing this issue right now. It is a hard pressure to deal with! Do we really need to shop? Do we really need more? Do others really need more? If our hearts could spend a little more time shopping with God, what a great difference He could do with us. Thank you for this post! Love you!
Di – Really? Your church is talking about this subject now also? How bold of a church to do so! Sadly, many churches today promote stuff! :/ I love how you said, “What if we shopped for God” with the same intensity that we shopped for stuff? Such a powerful question? Love you too, my sister! Lots!
I have these same struggles and questions. I try not to be judgmental, especially as many have not see poverty, but it is hard. I rebel so much inside that I have come to actually detest shopping.
J-Yes, our church is asking us to “think” about buying one less gift…to try and hold back the urg to spend and spend and spend. To maybe think about using that one less “spent gift” on the homeless, internationally, or maybe just to someone we know who truly needs it. To turn away from the stores and turn to our Lord! xoxox
Hi Jen – great reminder to think about what Christmas is all about. Jesus is the reason for the season, end of story, not a popular opinion, but there we have it. Thank you too for all your encouragement this week and for linking up. I appreciate it, God bless
Tracy
What a beautiful story-poem you have given this reader today!
You have written: “Thinking…is this Christmas?”
And also,
“I want the love that has no cost. That can’t be bought. That is not conditional on what our culture taught.”
I recently watched “What would Jesus Buy?” and have since found I cannot justify buying anything that might be less than giving to God’s world.
Really, what it boils down to is, what are we willing to believe? Are we worth something in the eyes of the Divine–even without our shopping binges and over-retailing?
Maybe we’re afraid God won’t keep this economy afloat without this spendaholic theology that is overtaking humanity?
I myself wish we’d take care of the poor in our own part of the world so that we are then better able to give abroad. As charity begins at home, I hope we’ll take time to notice who’s missing at our nation’s table, and then warmly welcome any left waiting for the true care we should believe we all deserve.
Our Lord’s table would exclude no one.
A thought-provoking post! Worthy of re-publishing elsewhere, as in book form.
I thank you for it.
May Christ seize the holiday back and give it true meaning once more!
Rose
Shanda – You have a great perspective as you have traveled the world and seen so much. Something for sure to be said for that, Shanda.
jds – I just love that idea, the great exchange….giving to the needy some of what Christ has given to us. Isn’t that so what Jesus did. Took away from himself to give….sacrificially, unexpectedly, humbly…..out of love. Thanks for sharing, Di.
Tracy – You are a blessing! Thank you for all your wise words!
Rose – Such great thoughts. Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, may Jesus retrieve the holiday back….once so all about Him. Blessings today. ~ jen