Parable of the Microwave and Toaster

In my kitchen, there is a built-in nook that houses two appliances: 1) our microwave and 2) our toaster.  Both toaster and microwave are slightly broken but not broken enough to replace.
The microwave came with the house.  It is not a high-end microwave nor is it cheap.  What is its main offence?  It is stinky.  I have tried to clean that little machine in every conceivable way.  I have tried all the internet hacks and various cleaning methods.  But the only thing that actually works is keeping a coffee mug filled with activated charcoal pellets in the microwave when we aren’t using it.  If guests come over and want to heat up their coffee, they discover our charcoal mug waiting for them in the microwave.  We quickly explain it away telling them to just set it on the counter and carry on.  Do I wish that we didn’t have a stinky microwave?  Yes!  Do I wish that we didn’t have to constantly take a mug full of charcoal in and out of the microwave to use it?  Yes!  But I have learned to be content with what we have since the microwave still works in every other way.
Then there is the toaster.  The toaster was a wedding present.  Once again, it is not a fancy toaster nor is it a cheap toaster.  It is a good toaster that does exactly as it is intended to do.  The one problem it has is that the plastic bit for the lever broke off when we moved into our house.  Now one has to push down on a thin metal lever to push the bread down.  The toaster works just fine - it is just uncomfortable to use!  I have seen other people with our exact toaster and no one else has had this problem.  My solution?  I have a dowel rod that lives next to the toaster that I use to press the lever down.  Do most people need a dowel rod to use their toaster?  No.  Does the toaster still do what it was designed to do?  Yes!  Do I wish there was a way to attach a piece of plastic to the metal bit again?  YES!  But for now, I am content with my "toaster stick".
As Thanksgiving Day approaches, followed by a season of consumerist shopping, I am asking myself this year, “What do I need to live a good life?”  There are many products that advertisers SWEAR will change my life.  Commercials depict people that are happy because of sales, low prices, and abundant gifts.  Influencers will explain why the products they are promoting are must-haves for the season if you want your family to have the PERFECT holiday season.  When I encounter these things, I think about my stinky microwave and slightly broken toaster.  I could replace them – I do have enough money to do so – but they won’t revolutionize my mourning routine, bring me ultimate happiness, or bring joy to my family gatherings.
The things that folks shared this past Sunday that they were grateful for were all things that had an ineffable quality to them: family, friends, health, peace, music, & community.  These are all things that don’t have a price tag.  They are things we value but cannot buy at a store. They are the types of things that Jesus tells us to store up in heaven where thieves cannot break in and steal them.
So, as we give thanks this Thanksgiving, let that thanksgiving be our guide for this season, that we might be content with what we have and that we might value the people in our lives more than the things and sales we encounter.
Happy Thanksgiving! 
Pastor Chris