Spent some time in a chic little clothing/accessory shop today. They have super cute stuff. The ladies working used all their sales tactics & treated me like a doll they could dress up. Then they stuck me in front of a mirror and said, "LOOK at you!! You look ready for the runway! And all for less than $200!" I just smiled, but on the inside I was thinking, I've never spent $200 on an outfit in m life, AND what I could do with $200 for a Roma family in Romania! That would feed a family for quite a while, or help them stay warm for winter, or pay a doctor, or buy medicine or or or... You get the picture.
Of course the materialistic, media brainwashed, girl within me WANTED the coat and boots, but why? How many coats are hanging in my closet now. How many people could I personally keep warm this winter if I'd just get over my selfish self and GIVE more away!?! What if I took that $35 I almost spent on a pair of boots today and instead... Bought something fair trade, made by women in other countries working to support their families. OR, got onto World Vision's website & bought some ducks or chickens for a family somewhere around the globe that need food, income & hope? What if, instead, I helped a family gain access to clean water so they or their children won't die of preventable diseases? What if I sent that money to one of my countless friends that serve as missionaries around the world? What if I bought Bibles for people who have never had a Bible of their own (while I probably have 4 or 5 floating around somewhere).
Sick as I realized how selfish and greedy I can still be!
Humbled, that my Savior still loves me as broken as I am!
Reminded of Christ's words about clothing "The Least of These"
Blessed, beyond measure and more than I could ever hope to deserve!
So, I'm choosing to be satisfied. I have a pair of warm waterproof boots that are nearly new. I have a warm wool coat. I have a had and gloves and scarfs galore. I don't NEED winter clothing at all. In fact I could spare some...a visit to a local coat drive or homeless shelter might just be in my near future. What could you do with $35 & the extra winter clothes in your closet?
2 comments:
This is something I struggled with GREATLY after my time in Juarez (and still definitely struggle with)...it's rare that I buy myself anything anymore, and it's weird that sometimes it frustrates me how easily some of my friends can shop. Part of me selfishly misses those days when I didn't think about it. But now every purchase almost, I wonder what I could do with the money. So many things become way less important after you've experienced poverty.
Thanks Allyssa!! We really should talk sometime!
Traveling to developing countries changes your perspective greatly on what is important in life. You see these people living in such poverty and unhealthy conditions, and they still experience joy. The more I buy, the less satisfied I become. We always need that reminder that there are other people who are in need and that we can live without the material things. My husband and I started our own ministry, Planting Hope International, to give us a way to meet the needs of others in developing countries. And it is a constant reminder to us to remember others in need.
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