The recession is a teacher, bringing some to God, bringing some to gratitude

(From my original Blogspot)

Recently, I attended a church meeting where the speakers were comprised of a family who had just began attending church after a marked absence of some years. The father's construction business had been extremely successful during the housing boom. Amid this prosperity, the family drifted away from organized religion and lived a life surrounded by the pleasures that money could buy. A bankruptcy jolted this man and his family awake to face reality. It was through this bankruptcy that he felt lead to come back to church and a more fundamental way of living. He made a strong statement when he said that he would never go back to his old way of life. He found fulfillment in a fundamental lifestyle; much more than when he could have every material thing while being void of personal peace.

The economy, as we know, has affected everyone in some way or another. My family has seen the effects through my husband's job. Thankfully, he is well employed. But when clients can't pay their bills, things still don't add up the same as they used to. I've found myself in a position where I a motivated to be much more financially conservative than I have been in the past. In the spirit of strictness, I have put myself on a limited cash-only budget for my expenditures. The results have been fascinating.

Where this new conservationism plays out most is with my children. I have found myself saying things lately such as, "I'm out of cash... therefore we are not going to the PTA carnival kids. Sorry. No cash equals no carnival." And, "The money I have left is marked for an expense; if you want that for your Halloween costume, you will need to buy it yourself, go without, or invent something else." At the grocery store, I am not throwing everything that I think I might need someday into my cart; I am calculating and planning, knowing that the numbers need to add up. It is kind of like a game.

How did I stray so far that this kind of conservation had slipped away from my life? Had I somehow turned into the mother that gives everything to her children? Had I somehow become the demanding wife that refuses to go without? Perhaps, a bit. But thankfully, the economy has helped remind of lessons I thought I had learned but somehow forgotten, and in general live with more thanksgiving and prudence.

Thank you, God, for the marvelous way You teach us. I thought that economic difficulties would really teach the extravagant people of this world a lesson.... I didn't realize that would mean me too.