We live in a society and a culture of materialism and consumerism which value possessions and more possessions. There is therefore a cycle of wanting more and more resulting in dissatisfaction. Appreciating what one has, rather than lusting for what one does not have, is an essential element of what is truly important and what matters.
Here is an illustration.
There was a church group that visited a partner church in the Lake Victoria region of Tanzania. Even by Tanzanian standards, the area is poor. There is no running water – women and children walk a mile or more to water wells. They use firewood to cook on the floor. Most people walk barefoot, a few have shoes for church on Sunday!
The two represented two different worlds.
During the visitors two week stay, what struck them most was not their hosts' poverty but the happiness and joy that filled them. Everywhere they went and every activity they shared, there was just joy and happiness. It was the opposite of what one would expect, given their material condition.
They were puzzled because there was no explanation for the mood.
At the end of their visit, the group's first stop on their way home was Amsterdam. As soon as they landed, the feeling of joy and happiness they carried evaporated; they were filled with sadness. They wanted to go back to the people of the Lake Victoria region.
What are your comments or suggestions? May be you have had a similar experience – or different! You are welcome to share them here.
Next on our list's discussion will be: Don't Second Guess Yourself.
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