In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, there is a lot of contemplation about what to be thankful for. I am super thankful for my growing relationship with God, two loving parents, my amazing husband, and of course my wonderful collection of friends. I have gone through some challenges in life, but the team of people who are a part of my life have been an amazing support system. Looking back at how I have reached the place in my life where I am currently, I am amazed at how different the path was from the one I thought I was starting out on. Nobody dreams about the challenges they will face or wishes upon a start to struggle. When we are younger, we only dream about the fairytale. But we seem to forget that even the happily ever after in the movies only comes after Prince Charming slays the dragon and the princess fights the evil queen.
It is interesting that the day following the day of thanks is the most celebrated day of shopping. Although much of the shopping revolves around gifts for family and friends Christmas gifts, it is also a day where we see things we want for ourselves. Even if we don't buy things we see, we often add those items to our Christmas wish lists. I appreciate the fact that the day before shopping for others revolves around being thankful for all that we have. It is a great way to remind us that it is better to give than to receive and that by thinking about what others may want is a great way to show our appreciation for the people who are important to us.
There isn't much wrong with wanting to buy gifts for the people we care about, but God asks us to do so in moderation and with non-greedy intentions. Leviticus 25 spends a lot of time talking about respecting the land and what it produces. To not seek more than what is proper and to trust that the Lord will provide what we NEED. That some years will be abundantly plentiful, but that those years should be appreciated and respected for they will supply us through periods of drought. Most importantly though, we are reminded that everything we have is temporary. Everything we possess on earth remains here after we leave.
So how do we go about living our lives in a way which avoids crossing the line of greed or materialism? Most of what we have in our homes we don't really NEED...people lived for a long time without most of the possessions that we have now. It wasn't even too long ago where most people only had a few clothes and only had one pair of shoes reserved for winter. So how did we get to the stage that we have shoes for every season and occasion, dresses we wore once 3 years ago, and more than one pair of jeans?
Last night, my husband and I watched the movie "The Joneses" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joneses). It is a very interesting movie that pretty much entirely revolves around materialism and greed. In the movie the Jones family lives the ultimate lifestyle with a very impressive large home and they always seem to have the latest gadgets, cars, and best clothing. They live a life most people dream about and many more envy. The kind of life that people try to mimic. As the movie progresses we see neighbors going to extreme measures to keep up with the Joneses. I won't spoil the movie ending, but in the end the cost of keeping up with the Joneses is too much.
I've never been too absorbed with wearing labels or following the latest trends. I definitely like to make a good presentation of myself, but not at any cost. Personally, I never really thought that I had a ton of junk. I knew that I had a decent amount of stuff, but I was pretty confident that I used most of what I owned and was careful about purchases. Focusing on things I needed to be comfortable, but not too much more than what was essential. Yet, when I was packing to move east it became evident that not everything I owned was actually necessary. Being forced to narrow down my possessions to those that would fit in a single small pull behind U-haul and my car seemed like it should be easy enough. It soon became apparent that I grossly underestimated how quickly I would reach my belongings quota and just how much more I actually have than what I actually need in order to be comfortable. That doesn't mean I'm not excited to reunite with my possessions when my time in New Haven ends, but I have definitely come to realize that I probably don't need much in order to be comfortable. I can certainly make do with less.
I recently had a daily devotional that presented the idea that "if you have the attitude that you are taking care of the Lord's property, you will make what you have more available to others." It is true that nothing I have is even truly mine. I may have worked to earn the paycheck that purchased the things I have, but like I learned when I was unexpectedly laid off from my job that money can disappear without notice. Sometimes things are beyond our control and if we recognize that we begin to put too much significance on the owning of possessions. We recognize that sometimes others need the things we have more than we do and that we are blessed to have been placed in a position where we can bestow our things upon others.
While I appreciate the things that I have, I can truly say that life would not be any better if I had more things or any worse if I had less. No matter what, my life is blessed because of the people I share my life with and my faith in God. Thank you God for revealing that to me and for helping me better understand.
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