Awaking this morning, from good dreams, I find myself with yet another day as a living part of God’s creation. In the morning I review by way of prayer and meditation, yesterday, and think about today. And this morning I recognized the tremendous wealth in doing so. I re-enjoy the things I got to do, the people I got to work with, the fun that I had while being productive. For me, these are the rewards of the day, everyday, of days lived well.
They are ordinary things, easily overlooked, if not mindful, and certainly noticed if missing. Clean clothes, good coffee, nice meals, maintenance of critical assets, conversations, reading, writing, rest. When these things are missing, I am easily frustrated by it. Yet here’s the hidden jewel of those occasions: scarcity builds value. Scarcity is itself, one of our greatest wealth builders, as oxymoronic as that first seems. Scarcity cures boredom. Boredom is wealth without gratitude. Scarcity instills appreciation, gratitude, value.
Having lost the use of my right leg for nearly a year, once upon a time, I lost the ability to do most everything. Even taking a plate of food from the kitchen to the dinning room wasn’t possible, as I could not put any weight on my right leg. That experience sensitized me to the tremendous value of being able to walk, that I never got, until I lost it.
It also put me into a different social characterization. I experienced treatment as a “handicap” person. Wheelchair access suddenly became a thing, and these experiences sensitized me to these realities too. Value, wealth. Gotten from my experiences of loss. Scarcity provides value, not abundance.
Keeping these truths in mind when tempted to feel sorry for myself, my role in God’s creation is to just be me. Living my life back to God, each day, I have the simple satisfactions of just being me. Healthy, wealthy, grateful and engaged. And in just being me, giving my love back to the God of our creation.
Real wealth, real value, reality, everyday living.
David Weeks, Information Developer, Tampa, Florida.