The Land of Milk and Honey

The land of plenty. The land of opportunity. America. This is where we live. Do many of you out there reading this really feel like you are abundantly blessed? Do you complain about your means once a day? Week? Month? Do you want a bigger house? Car? Paycheck? More televisions? Clothes? Vacations? Money? Yeah, I thought so. I'm not innocent. The most "impoverished" I have ever been was a short time when Reghanne was a baby. I lived with her in one room of my Mom's house and made about $90 a week working part time at Payless. I really thought I had it bad! I look back and think, did I? My child NEVER, not one time, ever went to sleep hungry, nor did I. We were never with out water, clothing, warmth, or cool. We both slept in beds (well a futon, but I digress). We had a place to bathe. I even had a car at the time. I guess my point is, at that time in my life, as with any other time in my life, I had every thing I could possibly need but my "wants" weren't fulfilled and for that, I was unhappy. Did I ever once stop to thank my Mom for putting food on the table for not only me but my child? I don't really remember, but I would venture to say that I probably complained all the time about having less freedom, less privacy, and less space.

Even today, I am not free from the materialistic pull of the world we live in. I am however, aware more every day how lucky I am. Today my pastor preached a service about a lot of things but one point he made was that if you were at a place in life where you had a roof over your head, food on your table, and money in the bank, you were among the top 8% of wealth in the world!!! Later I came home and saw a post from a friend on Facebook showing a family of four living in what most of us would be ashamed to call a walk in closet.

How did it come to this? Many of us live under unsurmountable debt to keep up with the Jones' (no not the actual Jones', it could be the Smith's or anyone else, but you get my point). It reminds me of the commercial for Best Buy were the girl is skipping around saying 3D, and realizes that 4D is coming out and says "Daddy, you bought the wrong TV". Does it matter if you have a 4D TV, or the iPad before anyone else when you take a moment to realize that an enormous number of children will die today because they don't have enough food to survive? I mean seriously!!

I am probably really soapboxing here, and I can't lie and say I am not guilty. I am! I buy more than I can afford. I have more than I need. I complain that my house is too small when I live in a house where every member has their own room, even the one that isn't even born yet! I guess my point is, I am becoming more conscious of how unbelievably lucky I am every single day. And I am making a pledge to do better, to be better, to look outside of my own little world and see that I am probably one of the richest people I know and that has NOTHING to do with material value.

PS. Speaking of others who don't have, we just dropped off the THIRD van full of Joplin donations. You are all amazing! Thank you.

¹⁰ I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ~ Philippians 4:10-13

That is all.

Heather