That’s a title that you may not expect to see on a missionary’s blog. But we are. And if you are reading this, you may own a computer, so you may also be rich.

Sometimes, I sit in bed and bemoan the fact that the paint is peeling on our walls. Or that the screens on the windows let the flies in. Or that our vegetable drawer is cracked. I eventually work my self into such a stupor that this little gremlin called Ungratefulness makes his home next to me. He lists off all the things I don’t have and all the things that other people do.

He never says the opposite, though. He never talks about all the things I have that others don’t.

I could just as easily list off the amount of food we have in our fridge and on our shelves. The two computers that are sitting by our bed. The phones that we call each other with. The cool air that blows through our air conditioner at night. The car that takes us wherever we want.

But I don’t list those things, do I? Maybe it’s because I’m rich and I don’t know it. Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. And I often ask myself the same question Jesus asked the young wealthy ruler in this parable. Would I sell all I have to follow him? Would I give up my wealth to serve Him? 

Once, when I was in such a state, Nick said something to me that I will never forget.

“Sara,” he said quietly.

“Yeah.”

“We have to be at a point in our lives where we love people more than our stuff.” 

I was quiet. How could I retort unselfishly? He was right. I love my little home and don’t know if I would give it up to live on a mud floor for Jesus. But what if He asked me to?

Tags: gratefullness, Jesus, rich

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 6:50 pm and is filed under Entry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.