Most of us are required by circumstances to carefully balance our "wants" and our Needs." We work with a bottom line that must be met in our finances, relationships, and our expectations. If you don't have one of these that is important to you, read no further. My Eyes literally feast on the corvette convertibles that drive by(I've had several of these)and there is a desire that grows within me to go out and get another one. I do not need one, it is highly impractical(not to mention spendy), but there is no denying that I would enjoy driving around in one again. What happens at these emotionally straining times is all in my head. I pull back, ignoring the beauty of the memories while I'm in the process of convincing me that I have everything I need, and it's silly of me to be thinking about(and there's that vision of the new Chevy pickup that really is the least practical truck on the planet but it sure looks cool)another vehicle. That's the rub! I actually owned a 1966 El Camino SS 396 and justified that for years and only gave it up when I came to my senses and realized I had no earthly use for it. I don't want this to be just about guy stuff, because I know that ladies must go through the same thing, only in terms of perhaps different worldly aquisitions, like say a new fall wardrobe. Like we really need more clothes to hang in our closets...Lol! My suggestion is a simple one. I've been journaling since 1974. For most of that time I have attempted to be painfully honest with me. You are the one person you can't fool. Do some active remembering as if you were looking back through a journal from years ago and try to find the places in your mind that make you smile the biggest and the longest and then apply them to a list that includes the things you want, and the things you need side by side.
If we're anything alike, you and I, what we discover is that it has never been as important to get what we want as it is to want what we got. Just being satisfied does not mean we quit striving, it only implies that we look to our blessings, the "hidden" treasures we all have, and unlock those really valuable treasures on a regular basis. We're human, we are probably always going to want more stuff, everybody does, that's why there is a Super Walmart. One of my favorite "poor" pastimes(yes I have been very, as in counting pennies, poor, but not in spirit)was to take the kids(5)to the world's leader in discount marketing and allow them to put whatever they wanted in the cart. This is a great way to put together a Christmas list, too, by the way! They all knew we couldn't "buy" the things in the cart, but we had a ball putting them in, and when we went home we had all learned a little more about one another. The kids and I road in an old VW van back to an old house with old toys, and we found treasures in every minute, and I pray they all still remember and someday share this with their children. So herein you have found a key that unlocks a treasure. The treasure is the one that you have in your mind and, hopefully, it is more a treasure of shared moments and time spent with others than a treasure you have stuck in the safe somewhere. God would have us give away whatever we don't really need and focus more on helping others with their expectations in life, than go on filling our carts and driving them home in a really "hot" automobile. And as for that balancing we do, if we are about the business of actively counting all of our blessings we may just discover there is very little we "need" that we don't have except more true "treasures" to tuck away for the next time a corvette goes by(the black '83 with the silver eagle on the hood could......). Thanks for sharing my thoughts and feelings this evening, I really do pray that this in some way, is a blessing for you to share with others. In Christ's Love, Preacher.
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