The following article explains what it is like to live in a third world country. Being in the cushy circumstances we are in... it is difficult to fathom what it is like to live in most of the world. Sometimes when Zoe explains her old life to me she shakes her head and laughs. She says it's so strange. Even now it's hard for her to believe that is what life is like.
If you think this is an exageration just ask my little Guataprincess. It's not...
1. Take the furniture out of your house: leave a few old blankets, a kitchen table, maybe a wooden chair. You've never even had a bed, remember?
2. Throw out your clothes. Each person in the family may keep the oldest suit or dress, and one shirt or blouse. The head of the family has the only pair of shoes.
3. All kitchen appliances have vanished. Keep a box of matches, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a handful of onions, a dish of dried beans. Rescue those moldy potatoes from the garbage can: those are tonight's meal.
4. Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, take out the wiring and the lights and everything that runs by electricity.
5. Take away the house and move the family into the tool shed.
6. By now all the other houses in the neighborhood have disappeared; instead there are shanties - for the fortunate ones.
7. Cancel all the newspapers and magazines. Throw out the books. You won't miss them - you are now illiterate. One radio is now left for the whole shantytown.
8. No more postman, fireman, government services. The two- classroom school is 3 miles away, but only 2 of your 7 children attend anyway, and they walk.
9. No hospital, no doctor. The nearest clinic is now 10 miles away with a midwife in charge. You get there by bus or bicycle, if you're lucky enough to have one.
10, Throw out your bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans, insurance policies. You now have a cash hoard of $5.
11. Get out and start cultivating your three acres. Try hard to raise $300 in cash crops because your landlord wants one-third and your moneylender 10 percent.
12. Find some way for your children to bring in a little extra money so you have something to eat most days. But it won't be enough to keep bodies healthy - so lop off 25 to 30 years of life.
THIS is what life is like for MOST of the world. While I sit on my chubby tushy talking about how STRESSED OUT I am. I NEED Starbuck's cause I'm so tired. That coffee cost more than what most people live on in a DAY!
Ohhhh... my house is getting too old or small. My back is sore from sleeping on that durn bed. I really NEED one of those matresses that conforms to my back.
BLEECHHHH! I just wanna barf! What is wrong with me?
Here is what the Bible has to say about it
1 Timothy 6:6-12
Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that. Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.
But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called...
WOW! Notice please that it says the LOVE of money... The bible says NOTHING about money being evil. To the contrary- the bible says wealth is a blessing. It's when we LOVE our wealth that we stumble. It's when we are NOT CONTENT that we stumble. BUT IF WE HAVE FOOD AND SHELTER, LET US BE CONTENT WITH THAT!!!!! CONTENT!
con·tent 2
adj.
1. Desiring no more than what one has; satisfied.
When I LOVE my money I want MORE MORE MORE!!!! ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME MEEEEEEE!!!! GIMMEEE GIMMMEEEE GIMMMEEEE! YUCK! I disgust myself.
con·tent 2
adj.
1. Desiring no more than what one has; satisfied.
When I LOVE my money I want MORE MORE MORE!!!! ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME MEEEEEEE!!!! GIMMEEE GIMMMEEEE GIMMMEEEE! YUCK! I disgust myself.
Right now there are 2.5 MILLION people that are homeless in and around Darfur. BUT.... I don't want to give up my clothes allowance to give cause' you know I really NEED another shirt. GEEEE WHILLIKERS I ONLY HAVE 30 SHIRTS! I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEED ONE!
GIVE ME A BREAK! GAG.
What does it mean to LOVE money? Well, here are some definitions of love...
love: Noun
An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.
A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language.
The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.
verb.
To have an intense emotional attachment to: loves his house.
To like or desire enthusiastically: loves swimming.
To thrive on; need: The cactus loves hot, dry air.
An intense emotional attachment to something.... I like that one. Do I have an intense emotional attachment to money? Would I throw a fit if I didn't have as much money as I wanted?
There's nothing WRONG with money. There is something WRONG with me. AND PLEASE don't tell me it's okay to want nice things. I might gag. I'm not saying we should all live like paupers and sell everything. You've seen my house and life. We aren't in NEED by any stretch. I live a wonderful, comfortable life. Most people in the world would say I live in the lap of luxury. They would be right. I DO! I am so grateful for the blessings God has given me. BUT I AM SO DONE LOVING MONEY!
What would happen if everyone who reads this blog QUIT loving money? It would change the world. Maybe you think that's crazy but it's not. We all have a LOT of money. Hopefully you see that. If we all truly quit loving it we wouldn't need to keep so much of it for ourselves. We could think outside ourselves and the STUFF we want. If we didn't love stuff so much then feeding orphans in Darfur would be more appealing than a new skirt. Helping a poor, single widow in Columbia start a business to support her family would sound better than buying a new leather chair. Maybe we would dig a well for a village in Africa instead of getting the big screen TV. Maybe we would adopt a child instead of getting the new car this year.
If we quit loving money it would change everything. I think I'm ready. Are you?
Here's what's going on outside our bubble. Let's do something!
Please don't let young children watch this video but please take the time to watch it.... this is what's happening TODAY. It made me weep.