Reason #445
I had to go to the grocery store after work. The weather was pretty cold and dreary today, so I figured it wouldn't be crowded. Wrong! I guess everyone thought the same thing, so we all ended up at the store together. This is one of my least favorite chores for a few reasons. 1.) I'm not patient and don't like crowds. 2.) Everything looks good so it makes it a challenge to stick to my list. 3.) Groceries are expensive! That's right. Food is outrageous. I'm a thrifty shopper, but it's hard to get out of there for a reasonable price. And the thing is, you've got to eat. And so I find myself wandering up and down the aisles holding myself back from filling my basket with things I just want but don't need.
I was getting my hair done this weekend and we started talking about cleaning out our houses. I am about to have to start doing some down-sizing so that Aaron can move his stuff in. I live in a 3 bedroom house all by myself and somehow, I have managed to completely fill it. There is room for additional furniture, but the closet space is lacking. And as I began looking around and thinking of what all I could do without, I quickly realized that I have way too much stuff. Stuff, stuff and more stuff. Stuff I don't use, stuff I forgot about, stuff I don't want anymore, stuff that doesn't fit, stuff that is out of style, stuff that needs to go. The lady doing my hair made a comment about the "more monster." You know, that little monster that pops up all the time reminding you that you need this or that. The little monster that tells you if you just had this particular thing you'd be set. If you could just one or two of those you really wouldn't need anything else. But isn't it interesting that even when you have no space to put anything, you still feel like you need something else? And not to bash any one thing, but particular websites sure make it hard to keep that "more monster" at bay. Because now, if you can't afford to have what you want, you can spend hours figuring out how to make it. There you go, a fix so that you can have what you don't really need. And if that doesn't help, you can get countless other ideas for things you didn't even know you wanted or needed but now you do.
More. Always wanting more. I fall victim to it, too. My only saving grace is that I'm too money conscious to buy something that isn't considered reasonable or practical. Oh, but I want it. A new this, a better that, a larger one of those, the best of the best. Because sometimes I do think that maybe if I just had a little more money, a larger paycheck, a few more closets, or at least one really large one, life would be easier. I wouldn't have to think twice before spending or worry about getting the best deal. Are you kidding me? I think I have it pretty good. In fact, I may have it too good. And I so often forget that. I become ungrateful for the things God has blessed me with because I get blinded by what the world tells me I should have. But I have food in my pantry, gas in my tank, hot water flowing through my house pipes, central heating and air, clothes that keep me comfortable, furniture to relax on, a TV to watch when I feel like it, a house to keep me safe, and the list goes on. I have a lot. And so I realize that I need to thank Him for those things. Not just for the big things but for every thing. And, I need to be mindful too of where I'm storing up. Am I storing treasure on earth that will rot away or am I storing them in Heaven? Am I more concerned about what I have in the here and now than what I'll have for eternity? Because what we have is only ours as long as He sees fit, and I'm grateful to serve a God who has blessed me with more than I ever deserve but also reminds me that things are just things and if there is something I want more of, it should be more of Him.
#445 - Because He has blessed me with way more than I deserve.
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." - Matthew 6:19-21
I was getting my hair done this weekend and we started talking about cleaning out our houses. I am about to have to start doing some down-sizing so that Aaron can move his stuff in. I live in a 3 bedroom house all by myself and somehow, I have managed to completely fill it. There is room for additional furniture, but the closet space is lacking. And as I began looking around and thinking of what all I could do without, I quickly realized that I have way too much stuff. Stuff, stuff and more stuff. Stuff I don't use, stuff I forgot about, stuff I don't want anymore, stuff that doesn't fit, stuff that is out of style, stuff that needs to go. The lady doing my hair made a comment about the "more monster." You know, that little monster that pops up all the time reminding you that you need this or that. The little monster that tells you if you just had this particular thing you'd be set. If you could just one or two of those you really wouldn't need anything else. But isn't it interesting that even when you have no space to put anything, you still feel like you need something else? And not to bash any one thing, but particular websites sure make it hard to keep that "more monster" at bay. Because now, if you can't afford to have what you want, you can spend hours figuring out how to make it. There you go, a fix so that you can have what you don't really need. And if that doesn't help, you can get countless other ideas for things you didn't even know you wanted or needed but now you do.
More. Always wanting more. I fall victim to it, too. My only saving grace is that I'm too money conscious to buy something that isn't considered reasonable or practical. Oh, but I want it. A new this, a better that, a larger one of those, the best of the best. Because sometimes I do think that maybe if I just had a little more money, a larger paycheck, a few more closets, or at least one really large one, life would be easier. I wouldn't have to think twice before spending or worry about getting the best deal. Are you kidding me? I think I have it pretty good. In fact, I may have it too good. And I so often forget that. I become ungrateful for the things God has blessed me with because I get blinded by what the world tells me I should have. But I have food in my pantry, gas in my tank, hot water flowing through my house pipes, central heating and air, clothes that keep me comfortable, furniture to relax on, a TV to watch when I feel like it, a house to keep me safe, and the list goes on. I have a lot. And so I realize that I need to thank Him for those things. Not just for the big things but for every thing. And, I need to be mindful too of where I'm storing up. Am I storing treasure on earth that will rot away or am I storing them in Heaven? Am I more concerned about what I have in the here and now than what I'll have for eternity? Because what we have is only ours as long as He sees fit, and I'm grateful to serve a God who has blessed me with more than I ever deserve but also reminds me that things are just things and if there is something I want more of, it should be more of Him.
#445 - Because He has blessed me with way more than I deserve.
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." - Matthew 6:19-21
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