Happy Friday everyone. Do you know what nostalgia is? Nostalgia is a sentimental longing or affection for the past. It’s often characterized by feelings of wistfulness or a bittersweet remembrance. It can involve recalling memories of people, places, experiences or times that are viewed fondly. Sometimes it’s accompanied by a desire to return to those moments, or a sense of loss for what has changed.

Well, some of you may experience nostalgia at this news: the final full scale Kmart closed on Sunday in Bridgehampton, New York. Kmart was originally known as S.S. Kresge, having been named by its founder, Sebastian S. Kresge. The first store with the new name Kmart opened in 1962, in Garden City, Michigan. Kmart became known for its famous blue light specials.

Blue light specials were promotional sale events at Kmart, where a blue light would flash in the store to signal a limited time discount on a specific item. Announcements would typically be made over the intercom, creating a sense of urgency for customers to take advantage of the deal. These specials became a hallmark of Kmart’s marketing and shopping experience. So much so that at its peak in the 1980s, Kmart boasted annual revenues over $36 billion in more than 2000 stores.

However, competition came in the form of Walmart, Target and other online retailers, which brought the mighty retailer Kmart to its knees. It filed for bankruptcy in 2002 and 2018, due to mismanagement and a failure to adapt. It tried merging with Sears in 2005, but both brands lost a lot of money, and it left only a small Kmart outlet in Miami and a few locations in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

You know, as I get older, there are many things that fade away and become memories of the past. And sometimes this causes a real nostalgia, a sadness or even anxiety about losing something familiar. But this weekend, I’m finding comfort in these words from Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Yes, this blessed assurance provides us with stability and hope during times of loss or transition and change.

It promises us that we can trust in the love, support and the promises of Jesus. He is always reliable and anchors us even amid the uncertainties of life.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we are grateful and so thankful for all that You are. We are thankful that You are never changing. Your love is consistent, Your promises are true, and You love us with that faithful, steadfast love amidst some of the things that we experience, and maybe are experiencing right now. Maybe it’s loss, maybe it’s the death of a loved one who has been with us for so long and now is gone from our life. Maybe it is a change of just the scenery or values in our culture, or all the things that tend to lead us to that place of nostalgic sadness, fear, anxiety.

Lord, would You secure us and anchor those feelings to You? For in You, Your truth never changes. Your love never changes. Your forgiveness is offered to us here and now. And salvation is ahead for all those who believe in You. And so, Lord, lift our spirits and give us confidence that we might continue to walk through this world, ever changing as it is, with our heads held high and our hearts secure in You.

We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.