Overly Blessed

Sometimes I do not know if I do the "right" things in life...I usually do what I think is best but is that right?  Life does not come with a book of paths to follow, although the Bible is a good reference tool.  So, today on Thanksgiving, I am looking around my brother-in-laws home at all of my family and extended family members.  I feel very blessed.  Although lately, I have felt overly blessed. 

After I was done with work for the day, I returned home and showered.  I am thankful that I have a great job with job security.  I changed into a brand new sweater (that I had bought to wear at Thanksgiving,) pulled on my make-my-butt-look-smaller jeans, switched my purses and changed into my expensive shoes.  I grabbed my $4 a loaf bread and my car keys.

 Then the guilt set in... I shook it off and ran out the door with my husband on my arm. 

We arrived at Caleb's, my brother-in-laws, and most of the family was already settled.  The tables were crowded with many dishes of foods, several different kinds of beverages, and lots of chit chatting about who did what.  The meal was by far one of the best meals that I have eaten.  But, I started to feel a little guilty, again---all of this over abundance of food. 

We ate on fancy dishes, spilling on brand new tables cloths that were purchased just for this occasion, and passed around beautiful serving dishes with shiny silver spoons.  The tables were decorated with crystal votives and fall colored candles.  Would the evening have been just as special with out all of the worldly goods?  If we had only bread and water, eating out of a trough...would we have all been as happy? 

Laughter filled the room, children playing cars on the floor, a little white dog sniffing all of the guests.  The entire evening I felt guilty because I feel overly blessed.  How would I feel if I lost all of our possessions?  These worldly goods are not going to get me any closer to heaven, then why have them.  Why not vow to live more simply, without fancy cars, expensive cloths, and a nice house?  Is there a difference between having possessions and being possessed by your possessions?

The questions that I have about being overly blessed come from a movie that I watched called The Book of Eli.  It is about the aftermath of the end of the world.  It was violent, very violent, and I do not like violent movies.  But, this movie struck a cord because the people had nothing.  NOTHING.  Water was the most valuable commodity.  They would kill over shampoo.  And, the most precious valuable on earth...the Bible. 

Jesus and his disciples were simple people, carpenters and tradesmen, living life on the bare minimum.  Buddha was a simple and ordinary person, just trying to teach and help people.  Most religions put emphasis on being humble, having humility, maintaining virtue, and so on.  No religion or belief system emphasizes having piles of money or expensive belongings, at least no religion that I feel is worth following.  So, this holiday season I am trying to figure out how to live life more simply.  Not just to live simply, but to give to those who are less fortunate or just need help. I do not want to live in a hut and stare at my belly button all day, but I do think that our family needs some sort of simplicity intervention (this coming on the heels of buying an expensive new camera...I will start living more simply tomorrow.) 

So, instead of giving the boys big fancy presents, I have decided to donate to children who have daily struggles for things that we take for granted.  (They will still get a little something to open up, but I am going to try to keep it minimal.)  I am also going to encourage any of our family members who read this blog to do the same thing.

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” --Albert Einstein

23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.---Matthew 10:23-25