This morning I caught myself thinking about what some kids had said on the bus a few days ago. They were talking about how they were not spoiled and who was more spoiled….it was quite entertaining to listen to. But this morning I found myself really analyzing what they had said. And I found myself wondering, who isn’t spoiled? And. What defines being spoiled?
The common definition of a person who is spoiled would be someone who is given everything that they could possibly want or desire-sometimes even things that they don’t, and who usually becomes pettish and sour-faced.
If you think about it, everyone is spoiled. Maybe not to the same degree of everyone else, but no one, at least in the developed world, has nothing nonessential. Looking around here, I am stunned by the luxury that I and my family are accustomed to. In America, we were not wealthy, even though we had a big house. But we still had stuff that we definitely could have done without. e.g.: television, computer, 2 cars… In fact, when you look at the stuff that is essential- food, shelter, water, clothes….. we were well off. Here we are well off and we don’t have a television, we don’t have constant electricity, we don’t have a dryer, or dishwasher, we don’t have a microwave, toaster, or coffee maker. And yet, compared to those around us, we are “billionaires”.
All the kids on the bus are spoiled, Addison and I and my family are spoiled. Very few westerners aren’t. We just don’t really realize it.
Every day here, I thank God that he has provided us with the things that we have. But I also pray that the spoiling would not “spoil” us and that he would help us not to be attached to worthless things but only to him.
This is very thought-provoking, Anna!
ReplyDelete"Spoiled" food is food that was unused, unneeded, and ultimately had to go to waste -like the manna in the book of Exodus that got maggots if it was in excess. Here in Tanzania, when I try to buy extra food, particularly extra vegetables and fruit, it goes bad in one day, just like the manna. And meats and even shelf goods are not reliable either. Refrigeration for the meat is uncertain...so we can only buy one or two day's meat at most. And the shelf goods get bugs in them. So anything in excess of our daily needs gets spoiled.
I wonder, given the above, if being spoiled is about having anything in excess. I used to think it just meant having lots of fancy things, lots of jewelry, computer games, tons of toys, lots of nice clothes, etc. We have tried as parents to limit toys and new-fangled gadgets..no phones, limited tv, no Wii....etc. etc. But thinking about it in terms of having anything in excess, we are so guilty. I guess all westerners fall into this camp--and we Merrymans are super spoiled. How much of our stuff is not fully needed and used? That is challenging.
Even though here in Africa we have to buy our food daily and we don't have the conveniences of home, we are still so full of provision. We don't have a lot of stuff here...but just having extra water, food, clothing, shelter and safety make us super wealthy here-with or without the bank account and anything else we have back home. It is very humbling. I have one suitcase of clothes and brought one suitcase with mostly books and medicines...and I have too much.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts, Sweetie! I am so thankful to the Lord for you!
awesome Anna! :)
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