AllTheseThings: Some Priceless Lessons

The signs are everywhere: oil prices are through the roof, mortgage lenders are in crisis, people are losing their jobs and their homes. We are firmly in a Recessi….er, I mean economic slow-down.

Personally I’m laying low and keeping my head down. I go to work, pay the mortgage, fill up the car with gas as much as a can and try and remain thankful for what I have. But there’s one time when the economic situation confronts me and that’s when I walk into a clothing store. The “sale” section used to be right at the back, in a corner. Now the whole store is covered in red tags. And I used to be able to browse for a least a couple of minutes before being approached by an over-enthusiastic sales assistant, checking if I was finding everything OK and if I had any questions. Now I can barely get across the threshold before being accosted. Not only are they checking if I’m OK and if they can help me find anything but I get a 5 minute presentation on applying for their store credit card. And then another presentation by another sales assistant 5 minutes later. I’m not buying it, and neither is anyone else, apparently.

If you’re a store owner, this is obviously bad news. But for the rest of us, I’m beginning to think there are significant benefits to our current situation. In a world full of credit cards and “no payments until 2009”, finally we are beginning to understand that having a lot of stuff is not a fundamental human right; it is a privilege. Yes, we all need basic food and clothing, but if we can’t afford Grand Theft Auto IV and a plasma screen to play it on then we will still be OK (better than OK). What do we really need in life? Do we still have it in abundance? The answer for me is “yes” and I think it’s easier for me to recognise it now.

I wouldn’t want anyone to lose their job or their home, but I think this current financial situation is reminding us of some valuable truths: we are not entitled to have material blessings, they are a gift from God, and He is still making sure we have everything we need.

Philomena

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