Boy do I feel lazy today! My inability to formulate a thoughts to put in a blog has got me wondering about the choices I have made here lately! This is because the down-time that I have had has been spent doing piddly stuff instead of actually being productive. That thought has got me to thinking about the "haves" and the "have nots", especially during this time of the year. Do you consider yourself in one of these categories? Well, I believe that I can give you a formula to determine where you might stand.
During the holiday season I find myself always comparing this year with the previous years, whether it is the weather, the traditions, the gifts, or the mental state in which I find myself. And now that I am in a different "place" than I had been for many years I am finding that the recollections are a little more real than in the last couple of years. For two years I have been away from what I had considered the "norm" (disfunctional as that might have been). The holidays are very different now. I can start my own traditions, go back to my childhood ones, or find a combination of both. And this is where I find myself today.
No, Thanksgiving hasn't even come, but working in a place where Christmas is already in full-swing with the music, lights, and decor, has caused me to examine what I "want." When I look at the time when I was married, even though I didn't necessarily see it at the time, I was part of the "have" group. I had everything I needed AND wanted. And I expected that to continue. Then came the divorce. Now I was alone but was expecting the "same". How was that going to happen? Who was going to provide for me the things I wanted and needed? Yes, I was assured that the Lord was going to provide for my needs. I was never going to go without shelter or food. But for so long this had not been enough. I "wanted" more!
I knew people from my past, and I have met more just recently, that barely had the necessities to live. Whether by poor choices or by circumstances, these people struggle to keep food on the table and wonder how they are going to pay for rent, gas for the car, or electric bill. These people are in the "have-not" category, right? I am finding myself more and more in this category, but not a huge worry. I know I need to be more frugal.
So, how can you tell which category you are in? Well, ask yourself, "What do I want for Christmas?" Your answer will likely determine your position. "I would love to have the new techie toy." "That beautiful piece of jewelry really has caught my attention." "That big screen TV would look wonderful on my wall." If your answer tend to be in this category, you likely are in the "have" category. You have gotten used to the idea of having things, right? However... "I would like to have my family together for a nice dinner." "I want to see my parents healthy." "Having the whole family around the Christmas tree." ...these are answers of those who are definitely in the "have-not" category. So, where are you standing?
I don't know, but the ones who are in the "have-not" category just seem to understand a little more about what the season is all about. Or do they?
Stay tuned for my next blog where I examine where I am finding myself more and more during the Christmas season.
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