Sunday, June 28, 2009

Hanging from a cliff


Here's another frustrating thing....you get your hair whacked off and everyone says, Wow, great hair cut...how am I supposed to say Thank You to that? Especially when I keep finding random long hairs. We had a Sunday School Teachers meeting yesterday and then church today and it was awkward to say the least.
Josh's dad and step-mom came in for a visit Thursday and left yesterday morning and I've been trying to read Inkspell so there's the reason I never got back to ya'll about the thorn in my flesh.

Okay here it is...
Two weeks ago it was mentioned in the sermon that we should try to befriend those of a lower economic status than ourselves. I almost stood up and offered everyone my token friendship. And then I thought...how patronizing. Knowing the person who gave the message, I'm sure he had the purest intentions but it has bothered me nonetheless. His point was that maybe we'd be more content with what we have if we were around people who had less. He pointed out how much the average house size has increased since the late 50's.
So here's the problem...I'm feeling like I need to stop spending time with everyone I know because they all have more than I do and I am way more content when I hermit myself away and don't see, hear, or know what other people are spending their money on. And if I follow this silly logic to its end then I wouldn't dare seek out someone who had less than me because then they would see what I have and not be content.
Then the my frustrations invariably turns to getting rid of all we have and moving to a third world country. Yeah, and then I find out in church this morning that a small group of people went to Haiti. How many years have we been talking about that...and how many people in our church knows our desire for that and we heard nothing about it before hand. Not that it would have mattered because we don't have a few thousand on hand to fly down there like they do. Oh, bitterness leave my soul because God knows what we have and what we are supposed to be doing and obviously it is to sit right here in our little rented house with one car shopping at Goodwill. And the Good Lord knew before the world was created who would be our family and friends and obviously he knows what he's doing and I need to be doing more trusting and less hanging on.
I don't know what I was thinking when I thought about posting this but there it is....
(sidenote...turns out Josh did know about the Haiti trip but we didn't have our passports...filled out my application last night....AND the cruises we took were entirely paid for by my dad with only a little money spent on souvenirs )

8 comments:

sister sheri said...

Honesty! Transparency!

Well, I can certainly see why the suggestion to hang out with those of lower economic status would truly bother you. For someone to befriend me for the sole purpose of becoming content with their wealth would not exactly endear me to them!

Kind of neat about blogland that it's a little more difficult to figure out financial status. We're able to meet with our hearts and minds!

I'll have to admit that I didn't realize your financial status... I had noticed that you've been on a couple of cruises... Sometimes we see what we want to see?

BTW... I highly recommend Me, Myself and Lies. If you'd like a copy... I'd send one to you.

Gloria said...

Has your hair ever been that short Emily? I don't think that anything about that cut is "a trim" or "little off the sides" and it definitely isn't even close to "keep the length." I know you don't want to hear it but from the picture you posted, it is a cute cut...I'm about to get mine chopped off to that length any day now as soon as I can talk myself into it.

That was quite the mental image you gave us. I see a sermon in full swing and you standing right up in the middle of it saying "Hi Emily, I'll be your friend." Just imagine....

I too have thought about running off to a third world country but it had to do with being infertile than money reasons. It was at one of my "what's the point, I'm outta here" moments.

I hope your frustration begins to wane soon.....

Melissa said...

I can solve your dilemma easily. Just hang with us people in your same socioeconomic status.

Wow, you did go short. Where did you have it cut? I'd go back if they didn't cut it right.

Right now with the way things are in our neck of the woods, I wish we could just afford to pack it all in and start a church with saints who really care about serving Jesus and not man. I'll leave it at that.

Melissa said...

By the way, your hair looks really cute! And I love you for your thoughfulness! Those cookies were off the chain!!!!!!!!

AllThingsHomey said...

Looking back where I was and where you are, I can say:
My riches far out weigh the lean years.
My three daughters love and serve the Lord. They each have husbands who love the Lord and all are raising my grandchildren to love and serve the Lord. There are NO riches better than that. When we all leave this world and its riches, we will enjoy each other for eternity.

AllThingsHomey said...

This is yor momma talking...
I just read your past few blogs and interwoven in you listing your frustrations were so many blessings that the average 'not rich' person has. I chsllenge you to re-read your blogs, with paper and pencil, and list them!

sister sheri said...

Caught your update! Glad to hear about Haiti. Sounds like a real passion for you! I'll be praying that our mighty God will provide a way.

CroppinRobin said...

i say it a lot, but it's true...it is all relative. i want more at times, want less at times, content at times, couldn't care less at times...basically it all relates to my relationship with the Lord at that moment. like i said, it's all relative.

oh and p.s. people that have more, most always just have more debt....