We are reminded in Matthew 6:19-21:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I thought of that scripture today while cleaning the top of the freezer we have on our carport. In the humid climate of Hawaii , and especially in Hilo , metal appliances, even those inside, eventually rust through the thin plastic coating. As I ran a damp cloth over the bubbled pock marks, I thought about how living in Hawaii helps me live the gospel, because this climate is awfully hard on personal belongings and I am regularly reminded not to become too attached to things, because they simply do not last.
As we face an uncertain economy, it is a good time to take stock of how tied we are to things and find ways to cut back. Christmas may need to be a simpler affair. As parents, we help shape our children's attitudes towards their possessions. What are we modeling for them? Everyone at some time or another will likely have to tighten their belt. During uncertain times we have an opportunity to use the teaching moments that will naturally present themselves.
Do we need to buy that book or can we check it out from the library?
What can we do to extend the life of that pair of shoes?
Can we make things from scratch rather than paying extra for convenience?
I will never forget the Christmas I got doll furniture made from cardboard boxes, scraps of fabric and old pieces of wallpaper. My mother made a doll kitchen from a shoe box, using a mayonnaise lid as the sink. She cut a picture of a clock out of a catalog and glued it onto the wall. The oven door opened with a brad. She made a vanity with a tin foil mirror and drawers made of matchboxes covered with pink wallpaper. No Barbie Dream House was ever loved more than my homemade doll furniture. It wasn't until years later that I realized that my mother did all that because we were poor. I thought she did it because she loved me.
It must be in the genes, because years ago my son and I entered a “Trash to Treasure” contest. We turned a Styrofoam packing box into a troll house. We had great fun taking everyday items and turning them into something for the troll house. A toothpaste cap became a drinking glass. The top from an aspirin bottle became a dog dish. The inside of a ballpoint pen became a shower curtain rod. The troll house won first place in its division. Not only did we have a good time, but we won $100.00.
We all wish the economy a speedy recovery, but there are lessons to be learned in the down times. My grandparents, who lived through the great depression, had a saying on their bedroom door.
Use it up, wear it out. Make it do or do without.
I never embraced this to the extent that my grandparents did. My grandmother was quite upset at me when I turned down the Naugahyde couch from her basement and bought new living room furniture. Twenty-five years later, though, I am still using some of that living room furniture, so something must have rubbed off somewhere.
On my fridge I have a magnet that says, “The most important things in life aren't things.”
When I was growing up, I could never have imagined that the day would come when people would walk around each with their own phone. It used to be that only doctors carried with them the means to be contacted 24/7. Technology constantly assists us in adding new wants and needs to our wish lists. Our lives have become more gadget-intensive than ever. We can use this downturn in the economy as an opportunity to teach our children how to cut expenses, how to tell the difference between wants and needs and how to value what is truly important--our relationships. If each person in the family chose one thing to go without or one way to cut back, not only would we likely see a monetary savings but we would teach our children important lessons for the future.
We need to learn and teach the concept of “enough.”
Enough shoes.
Enough house.
Enough toys.
Enough said.
