Over the past few years, it seems that Thanksgiving has become almost completely lost in the celebration of Christmas. “Black Friday”, as it’s come to be known, is held by many in higher anticipation than the holiday of Thanksgiving itself. And though I by no means condemn bargain hunting or Black Friday, I find it ironic that a day which represents thankfulness and contentment is followed up by the biggest shopping day of the year, where people often buy things they don’t even need simply because it’s on sale.

The question we need to be asking ourselves, however, is not “Where did Thanksgiving go?” The real question, and the one we should be considering, is this: “Where did thankfulness go?” When did sitting around the table sharing what each person is thankful for get replaced with passing around Black Friday ads and pointing to all the things we’re going to purchase? When did making it to the local Wal-Mart before midnight take precedence over spending quality time with loved ones that are rarely seen? It’s not that standing in line to get a good deal is wrong; it’s about the priorities of the person standing there. A simple analysis of your thought life over the past 24 hours may help you determine your condition: have you spent more time today being grateful for what you do have, or looking forward to what you will have after a day of shopping tomorrow?

Once again, I’m not against Black Friday. To prove that, let me tell you that in about 30 minutes I’m hopping in our car and going bargain hunting with my mom. The point of this post isn’t that you should spend tomorrow counting your blessings while sitting quietly at home; it’s that in the process of transitioning into the Christmas season, we must be careful not to lose sight of what thankfulness really means. No, thankfulness is not being happy that we were able to buy a cartful of electronics that we’ll probably never use. That’s greed. True thankfulness is understanding that even if we’re never blessed with another material possession, or given another spiritual gift, we’ve already been given more than we deserve. And for that, I am truly thankful.