stuff-mart

Last week my daughter who is 4 1/2 and I went out on a date. We were having a lovely time at a little shop where you can make beaded jewelry, we got her some pretty tights and watched the fish at the aquarium store. We were having a splendid time when something nasty grabbed hold of my beautiful little girl and turned her into a pouting, whining, ungrateful little girl. Her cry was, "I want more stuff!" That's a literal interpretation, that is exactly what her words were. I was horrified, appalled, saddened by the change that occurred. We tried to reason with her, pointing out that she had received four items already that day, it wasn't enough. We tried to explain that if she wasn't happy with what she had nothing would satisfy her. Her cry remained, "I want more stuff!"
I began to feel physically ill as I listened to my daughter's cry. I was sorry I had taken her out. Of course, I didn't think that things would go this way when we went out. However, on a previous errand run that week she had wanted everything in site and we had a similar experience (except that time she got absolutely nothing). I told my husband about feeling ill, telling him that what she was saying was just making me sick. He turned to me and said something very profound. "This is the cry the God hears over our nation every moment of the day - we have exported that noise all over the world. How it must grieve His heart." I had to agree. While I ran an errand he started praying over this matter and by the time I returned to the van my little girl had been restored to a grateful, thankful heart.
Dear friends, this is the season that 'stuff-mart' takes over more people than any other. Let us not give way to the perceived 'need' to give or collect more 'stuff'. As Madame Blueberry learns in the Veggie Tales show, "A thankful heart is a grateful heart and has everything that it needs." There are many websites with ideas for focusing on the season and the people rather than the stuffI would encourage one and all to check them out.