'Jingle All the Way' – in January

I have always enjoyed the 1996 Christmas movie, "Jingle All the Way." For those who perhaps have not seen it, it revolves around a workaholic husband played by Arnold Schwarzenegger who, at the very last minute, is desperately trying to find his young son the hottest toy of the year, the Turbo Man action figure. He promised to get him one, forgot that promise, and is out on Christmas Eve with all of the other procrastinators trying to find what is no longer in stock, anywhere. Along the way, he ends up with a main rival for the toy, a mailman, played by Sinbad. They battle like over-the-top wrestlers, wrecking a mall, terrorizing a motorcycle cop, and accidentally setting off a bomb. Much of the hilarity in the movie was caused by storekeepers' and bystanders' hilarious reactions to them waiting until the last minute to seek the coveted item. They get laughed at, mocked, and at one point, Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) even gets taken in by con-artist Santas who offer to sell him one "on the down low." I mention all of this not to promote a 30-year-old movie, but because I managed to live that movie over the past week. For about a week and a half, weather forecasters warned that the winter storm of the century was bearing down on us, and that tens of millions of people would be without power, unable to travel, and should be preparing for such. Our family, having lived through Hurricane Helene, took this very seriously. All week long before the storm hit, we were laying back additional supplies to our already solid reserves. I got the trusty old generator running and felt like we were pretty well good to go. But I am also a pastor, and a life-long member of our community. So, all week long, I checked on a bunch of others as well, and then, when time was waning fast, realized that we had more work to do. Some people that we deeply care about did not have a generator, nor any other way to heat their home if the power went out. Mind you, this was now the day before the storm — Christmas Eve, in "Jingle All the Way" terms. And I would now be Howard Lang, going from store to store seeking the one item that everyone else was also seeking, a generator, plus everything needed to go with it. There is a huge measure of embarrassment that comes from walking into a local hardware store, and a Harbor Freight, and multiple Lowes, and asking, "I don't suppose you have any generators left, do you?" The looks on the faces of the clerks spoke volumes, as did their dripping-with-sarcasm "No, all of those are loooooong gone by now." I could not blame them; I would likely have done the same. Nonetheless, I persisted in my quest. That quest also included extension cords and 5-gallon gas containers, all of which were also "loooooong gone by now." At an auto parts store, the clerks were actually standing out front to tell people, as soon as they exited their vehicles, "We don't have gas cans." They actually giggled as I got back in my truck. And then came the con-man Santa moment. As I walked into one last store, late Friday night, and asked the same question I had been asking all day, the clerk lowered his head, looked around furtively, and whispered, "On the down low, yeah, we have some out back." I nearly choked on laughter, expecting to find a generator that spoke only Spanish. As it turned out, they had to be somewhat quiet because shipments of generators had been causing mob scenes. I secured the coveted item, took it to its intended location, and got it up and running. Then I went home, fell into bed, and prayed to be iced in long enough for me to recover from the day's adventure. Proverbs 22:3 says, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." The admonition of this verse is that everyone look ahead, take stock of what is coming, and make proper preparation. And while that is true in practical matters such as winter storms, future financial needs, and physical fitness, it is far more true in the matter of another coming storm. 2 Peter 3:10-12 puts is this way: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" No generator or food supplies will suffice for that storm. The only preparation that will matter is that of having repented of sin and received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Anyone who has done so may rest in the promise of John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." If you want help preparing in that way for the coming storm, I would be honored to help. Securing generators for those in need is enjoyable; seeing sinners come to Christ is incomparable. Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, North Carolina, a widely traveled evangelist, and the author of several books. Email him at 2knowhim@cbc-web.org.