November 27, 2017 (Monday)
We Texans (some of us, that is) are fond of changing the pronunciation of some words. For instance, when we say, “business,” it sometimes sounds like, “biness.” Therefore, it’s not uncommon in Texas to hear a business man say, “Biness is biness.” At this time of year, retailers, online and offline, thing about “biness,” because 30% of their annual business will be conducted from Thanksgiving to Christmas each year.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed the date for Thanksgiving to the third Thursday instead of the fourth, to lengthen the Christmas shopping season and increase sales, thereby boosting a faltering economy. That didn’t last, because most people wanted Thanksgiving to be an “untouchable” holiday.
Now Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November every year. More people travel on the day before Thanksgiving than do so on any other day of the year. And where are they headed? Most people are headed to some version of “home.” The holiday is a family day throughout the land.
Now Thanksgiving weekend is behind us, and the next big date on our calendar is Christmas Day. Including today and Christmas day that’s 29 days. After that, it’s a week of little activity until New Year’s Day and then we face a brand new year, just brimming with opportunities for us to live for Jesus and tell others about what He means to us.
I give very little advice to my friends, but I share the Apostle Paul’s advice to all of us as we face this very busy season of the year: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV).