Conquering stuff-itis
Maryann posted about God's provision and answered prayer through a $2 table and chairs. I love it when God answers those little, simple prayers - small and minor though they may seem - and shows us how much He really loves and cares for us. And this part of her post is such a great reminder:There are obvious reasons to learn to save money for today. Paying off our house is my family's greatest, most immediate goal. Yet, there are reasons to learn restraint for the future as well. The way I figure it, if we can learn to make do with less now, our family will always be better equipped to face what lies ahead. Sort of like pioneering ways- save, salt, preserve now and we'll eat better through long winters and lean seasons.
My children have everything they could ever want, in the material. EVERYTHING. We are not lavish with them. But they certainly lack nothing. In a sense, I feel that our life here in Atlanta is grounded in surface security. It's credit-card driven, must-have-now, I want therefore I need. Everyone is living on borrowed money, borrowed time. All determined to live as easily as possible. And that is where my fear lies: that in seeking to live easily, just enjoying life because it is here for the taking, any unsettlement to this veil of security will eat Atlantans (Americans in general) alive.
One way to combat the insatiable need for things, stuff, extravagance is to simply stop needing it. Stop needing and the wanting will likely lessen too. Taper out wanting and contentment will blossom. Contentment will grow happiness in families and homes. And somehow through happiness evolving, real money-saving begins. What seemed like a need so strong it would kill, becomes almost forgettable. What was wanted NOW gradually joins a category of "can wait". It's an amazing process.
posted by Crystal Paine at 10:15 AM
4 Comments:
I read the article and it really makes a good point - that life in the 2020's will not be what we know it to be today. No matter where your political beliefs fall, the war in Iraq and other decisions that have been made have placed a tremendous, tremendous burden on our children and their children. It simply is not right but as we cannot undo time, it is wise to instill a habit of saving and delaying gratification - these are are things our ancestors were quite familiar with. Even as a child (I'm 29) I remember having to save for a whole year once to buy a curling iron! A curlin iron was like $9. I saved by collecting money I found - literally on the ground, in playgrounds, change left in coke machines and payphones, etc. Over the course of a year the found money got me close enough that my mom made up the difference. But I was so pleased to finally get the curling iron and I believe I valued it a lot more bc of the time and patience it took to acquire it. These types of things are things our children need to learn as in their lives they may face a completely different America than we are living in right now.
Anonymous I couln't agree more that we have got to stop expecting the government is somehow going to take care of us. They can't even make ends meet themselves so how on earth are they going to be a nanny for us all? We must start taking personal responsibility and train our children to do the same.
And I think it is so important we don't train our children that life is handed to them on a silver platter. No matter how little or much money you have, teach your children to be hard-working, frugal, entreprenurial. I'm so thankful that my parents required us to work for many of the things we wanted. What you work for, you appreciate more. And by having us pay for many of our things it developed in me a very frugal, entreprenurial spirit which has helped our family out so much today.
Great ideas. I am trying to be better about putting this into practice. I have thrown out so many catalogs recently. I seem to get a least one or two in the mail almost every day! Of course, I can almost always find something I would like to have if I glance through the pages but if I don't allow myself to do that or if instead I focus on all that I currently have, all God has blessed me with, then I no longer have the strong desire to want more. I certainly have my needs met, more than ample, abundantly provided. What more do I really need?
"It will all burn up in the end. I can't take any of it with me into eternity." That is what I keep reminding myself.
Thanks for these thoughts. They are an excellent reminder.
I love what Maryanne has to say as well. As her younger sister, I feel very fortunate to have her as an example to look to for being a frugal wife and mother, among other strengths. I have seen her wanting a table and chair like the one she found for months...the key is that she prays about things and if she finds a deal on something, like the perfect one she found, she gets it but if not, she's happy to do without, trusting God knows best. I know she loves your blog and I'm glad to have come here today as I think it would be a good one for me to read regularly too! Thanks!
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