“Wow, what a house!” Out on a walk with her young son, my friend Katrina stared longingly. She could already imagine her little family living there: her husband Matt doing yard work, her sons running around playing with their trucks and diggers while she planted some bulbs.
Katrina turned toward Ukiah. “Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a house like that, bud?”
Ukiah scrunched his nose, his unruly blond hair sticking out. “What do we need that house for?” he asked. “We already have one.”
As Christmas steamrolls toward us, having an attitude of “I would love to have….” can quickly morph into “I cannot be happy without…” Every commercial, store aisle and advertisement is designed to make us dissatisfied with our current situation, and sadly, they often hit their mark.
Yet a child can bring us back to reality. Ukiah, impervious (so far!) to marketing, reminded his mother and me of what we already possess: homes, cars, education, relationships, enough food on the table, clothes in our wardrobes, and perhaps a chance to occasionally go on holiday.
The United States celebrates Thanksgiving this week; it might not hurt us to follow suit. As Psalm 9:1 says, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”
It’s great to dream big and work hard. But how much better is Ukiah’s way? Instead of lusting for more, let’s adopt that childlike attitude of being thankful for what we already have.
Crystal Kupper,
The Gateway Church