"In the concrete circumstances of my life situation, what is the Lord Jesus Christ asking of me in the way of material poverty?"
Brennan Manning, "Reflections for Ragamuffins"
I live in an adorable doll house. I have everything I need, but certainly, sometimes, "want" more. For example, I have a thing for downloading music and buying white shirts. (In my defense, I am perpetually trying to replace the perfect white shirt that I ruined by washing it with a chapstick several years ago). I think the question is, "Do I ever deny myself something I think I want?" "Do I ever sacrifice something that catches my eye, fits, and would look wonderful in my closet or on my mp3 player?" What really is the difference between want and need? With so many millions of people in the world suffering from REAL want--lack of food, clean water, basic housing, what little can I do to make a dent in that? Pope Francis said that wasting food is stealing from the poor. That is one way to begin. Use it up, finish it to the last drop, wear it out or give it away. Share a bit of every paycheck with the poor as a way of showing gratitude for having a job. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, only run the dishwasher or washing machine when full. Turn off lights. Ride your bike to work. Reduce, re-use, recycle. What material poverty are we being asked to live today? My guess it is relatively painless. Let's do our part to make a better world! Love, heidi
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