Ah, Black Friday.  For many, it's a time of excitement and glee; for others, particularly retailers, a time to dramatically increase revenues; for still others, a moment to express disappointment or, in some cases, disgust at American materialism.  For most of us, however, regardless of how we feel about it emotionally or philosophically, Black Friday signals the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.  It tells us that it's time to shop!
     Maybe so.  I'd like, however, to offer another perspective.  In the middle of his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul writes about giving.  Thinking about the congregations in Macedonia (many miles north of Corinth), Paul observes that, "according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participating in the support of their brethren" (2 Corinthians 8:3-4).  Consider:  these people didn't wait to be asked to give; they instead begged for the opportunity to give. Moreover, they gave beyond what anyone thought they could give (in other words, considerably more than the "standard" biblical tithe of 10%).  Trusting in the God who had given them everything they needed, they stepped up to do even more. They understood that, as Paul adds in chapter nine, "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (9:8).  Because God is continually gracious to us, we can never give enough.  We can always give more.
     Let the retailers worry about what we should get.  Let us concern ourselves with what we can give.  As you go forth to "conquer" the stores before you, realize that it's no challenge to "get."  We can always do that.  The far greater challenge is to give.
     God has given us life itself; surely, he can give us more than enough to give.