We all have little rewards in life. Mine is the Coke Slurpee. I realized that I might have a problem with my love of the Coke Slurpee when:
1. My daughter asked if we could get a Slurpee and then said to her friend, “my dad knows where ALL the 7-11’s are around here.” You may be an expert in art or music, my claim to fame was being a 7-11 locator.
2. I then realized I knew where most of the 7-11’s were located on the I-95 corridor between here and Richmond
3. My co-workers would see me carrying a Slurpee and say, “has it been a bad day?”
The truth is that I have loved Slurpees since I was a child. So many of our habits related to purchasing were formed in our childhood and while many of you grew out of Slurpees, I still prefer them to any number of other vices I could have adopted over the same time period, but clearly it does not pass the need vs. want test during this financial fast.
I was driving back from a meeting at Trinity Presbyterian Tuesday and started thinking about the Slurpee. Did you know that there are no less than three 7-11’s between Trinity and Floris? Each time I passed one I thought, “why isn’t it a need? I think I really do NEED a Slurpee right now…” Here is the great thing about the financial fast: that thought turned my thoughts to God and to an examination of my life. How many things in my life do I think I need that are really just wants? I am not talking about $1.29 Slurpees. My list has things that are much more expensive. The cost is not really the point in the end. The issue is that so often things have control over us. They call to us and we follow. I think that God is calling us to a life that has more freedom than that, freedom from the little compulsions and reward systems we have put in place to make our day seem brighter. I thought about this as I passed that third 7-11 and headed back to the office. Strangely I did not miss that Slurpee as much as I expected.
I hope your financial fast is not just a time to save money, but a time to examine your life and what makes you tick. I am thinking more about God in the mundane portions of my life than I usually do and hope you are too.
How is your fast going?
I don't have a problem with Slurpee's. I am even finding that I can make my own mocha for much less than I can buy it at Starbucks - and it is good.
ReplyDeleteBut...when my husband called last night and told me the crock pot had burned the meatballs (it certanly wasn't my fault) I thought I really needed to stop by Pei Wei on my way home. After all it was almost 7PM and to have to prepare food would make it almost 9PM before I ate and I get really cranky when I don't eat. It would be better for my family if I stopped at Pei Wei. Really.
But I didn't. I got home and found my husband had saved some of the meatballs and I found myself enjoying dinner more because we prepared it together. It helped me realize three things:
1. We often already have what we need
2. It's possible to get good things out of what looks like a mess
3. Burned meatballs require overnight soaking
One of my biggest struggles is at the grocery store. Everything is a necessity at the grocery store, right? Feeding a family of 5 is no easy task, everyone has separate likes and dislikes when it comes to food, drinks, snacks, etc. And it is difficult to get through the isles without giving in the the cries of "I want!" Or grab whatever is on sale because it's such a great deal. Do I really need the name brand of something vs. the store brand, organic vs. non-organic? Prob. not. I don't deserve to reward myself on dragging three little kids through the grocery store by ensuring quiet in the car with candy at the check out. Bottom line, if I'm trying to justify what I'm buying be it food, quiet time or hair care items, it's not a need, it's simply a want.
ReplyDeleteTwo things:
ReplyDelete1) My wife and I have realized that the goal of the fast should be reflection rather than perfection. When I forgot our goals yesterday after the third quarter clinked its way into the soda machine, I at first despaired that I had suddenly failed. But after we spoke about it later, I realized that the moment was more valuable as a learning experience--and as long as we didn't use "oh well I'll learn next time" as an excuse we should be willing to accept that we'll stumble sometimes.
2) I think my biggest struggle is with where the line between want vs need ends. It seems like you could take the justification to rather extreme ends. I don't need a television or a cell phone, so should I live my life without them? How many books do I *really* need, 100? 50? 5? how about just the one?
Last night I was folding the clothes from the dryer and noticed that my son's shorts were wearing thin in a particularly sensitive spot and would wear to a hole soon. It was a sight to behold. How many items of clothes had I discarded because it had "worn out"? Not many. My husband has often called me the family procurement officer and although Tom has called us to fast, this isn't the first time he has addressed the issue of want versus need. I knew I needed to change, but I knew I could not change overnight. I knew I needed a change of heart to live the life he intends for me and I knew that if I was faithful in praying about it, he would change my heart and mind. In the time since, I have moved thru several stages. At first, I would buy, come home with my purchases and sometimes, realize that I did not need the item and return it. Sometimes, I would keep the item. Other times, it is enough for me to just look. (I am by design a hunter/gatherer and just this last week I decided I might be able to exercise that tendency and it might be fun to learn which natural plants are edible and gather them!) I still buy things that I do not need, but more often than not, I come home empty-handed. I still pray that God will continue to mold me into what I am meant to be and maybe someday soon I will "wear out" a piece of clothing
ReplyDelete