A Boxing Day Tradition

A tradition for many families after Christmas is to go to a local retail outlet and with what little money they have left they buy more stuff they do not need.  I know what I am talking about because I have more stuff than I will ever need.  Recently I decided to do an inventory of my clothing.  I discovered I had 15 suits, 4 pairs of jeans, two cordoroy pants, 7 pairs of dress pants, 6 pairs of kawki pants, 10 polo shirts, 20 dress shirts, numerous sweaters, over 50 ties and other forms of clothing.  Do I need more clothing?  No.  In my garage I have every tool known to man and I have over 3000 books.  I am stuffed out.  How did this happen?  It was not some sudden impulse buying spree where I felt I needed to get stuff.  When you been around for a while it just happens.  In my house I have not only my stuff but my wife Lois', Ryan our son, and Rebekah who lives in Japan but her stuff lives with us.  I do not need to go out and spend more money buying stuff on boxing day.   In our society when we have a holiday and we have so called relaxed.  We then feel the need to go and celebrate.  Boxing day is all about the celebration of commercialism at its finest.  O.K. so what is the purpose of this diatribe.  Simple.  We have just celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, the most influential person who has ever lived.  Today as you fight the crowds, spend your last dime, think for a moment about maybe keep that dollar in your pocket instead of buying a new electronic gadget which most of us will do.  Put that aside to help others.  Help the Salvation Army reach their goal, the Christmas Bureau, pour it into the local church or buy a meal for a homeless person.   Materialism has infected our society to such an extent that we are material prosperous and spiritually bankrupt.  Poverty has never been the most dangerous threat to spiritually but prosperity.  When you do not need the basics, when you have all the material possessions you need there can come a spiritual lethargy.  Be careful of that today as you go about your boxing day business.