October 31 – “Purpose purchase”

I had a chance to see some of the fire fighters at the downtown station yesterday.  Calls were pretty slow for a change.  After that last bout with high water and high winds and all the calls that generated, they deserved a shift or two of rescuing cats and inspecting fire hydrants.  Testing was going on for a new batch of recruits as well.  Looks like 99 people were taking the written portion of the test.  If enough pass that, the physical agility test today might have to be done in two groups.  Good to have that many candidates to choose from.  Oh, and several of the fire fighters passed their driver’s test for possible promotions as well.  Congrats to them.  That’s a significant milestone.  Next step … captain’s exam.

Chris and I did some – get ready for this one – Christmas shopping yesterday as well.  Yep.  You heard right.  Christmas shopping.  Not that we bought anything.  Now a quick disclaimer here.  To our credit we actually have several gifts already in hand for this year.  A few things we stumbled upon throughout the year.  But yesterday we went with the expressed purpose of Christmas Shopping.

I get a kick out of Chris’ style when it comes to picking out gifts.  Oh, she has her list all right.  But at least for the first trip, the list stays in her purse as we wander around the stores.  She has in her mind an array of products that she has seen in ads or heard about on line or maybe even one of our grandkids has mentioned already.  She just has to see them, handle them, form a judgment as to whether she would purchase such a thing.  No impulse buying for her.  That is just outside of her comfort zone.  Not so much me.  I’m more of a “Hey, this is really cool.  It’s bound to be good for somebody” kind of shopper.  Then she asks me who.  “I don’t know.  We can figure that out later” is my usual reply.  Doesn’t usually win out.  Not a clear enough purpose behind the purchase.  We are a strange combination.  I’m ready to do the shopping in August and get it over with.  But my quick draw style is better for last minute shopping on Christmas Eve (which would be fine by me, by the way.  Lots more fun watching frantic people doing last minute freak-out shopping).  She wants to wait until after Thanksgiving to begin, and soon feels the pressure of the season bearing down.  I can get something for everybody in one trip to WalMart.  She prefers to take her time and visit every store on the island and a few in Texas.  So … yesterday was a reconnaissance mission.  We picked up a few little things here and there.  More to come. 

Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Father, thank you for a season that gives everyone an excuse to share gifts with one another.  I pray that this year it so inspires everyone that they start doing it year ‘round, on random non-occasions.  Amen.