Poor. I hear that term thrown around a lot in everyday lingo. I have even found myself using it at times (you know, the whole "woe is me, we're down to one income" thing). But what does "poor" really mean?
I've been thinking about this a lot during the month of thankfulness (which is ironically followed by the month of gluttony and frivolity...but I digress). What is our definition of poor, in a country where we have closets and basements full of stuff? Where we have garage sales to get rid of all the stuff we don't want anymore? Where the average family spends over $700 every Christmas for new stuff?*
Now, I realize there are many people in this country that are truly struggling. But a vast majority of us are not. (If you are reading this on your smartphone/ipad/PC, you are probably not). A vast majority of us has never known what it is like to feel hunger, or to brave the cold without shelter. We have cleaner water in our toilet than many people have to drink. By third world standards, most of us are so very rich.
I struggle with this. I struggle with wanting to give back, and do more, but not knowing where to start. I struggle with holding my possessions too closely, but at the same time yearning to simplify and leave the burden of it all behind. I struggle with how we are going to raise a daughter surrounded by worldly goods, while simultaneously trying to teach her to place her values in the treasures of heaven.** How am I going to teach her that Christ is enough, when I myself put way too much stock in our assets and our security? How am I going to teach her to be generous with what we have, when I myself am so inherently selfish?
I don't know the answer. Feel free to share, if you have any wisdom on the subject. How do you give back and serve others? How do you simplify, in a culture that is all about extravagance?
*How Much Do Americans Spend Over Christmas
**Matthew 6:19-21
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