EXTRAVAGANT LIVING

 The neighborhood I live in is in the landing path for the local airport for private planes.  In case you did not realize, Texas is a very rich state and Fort Worth has MANY extremely wealthy people.  It seems, in my observations, there is a regular pattern of the comings and goings of the jets of the wealthy.  I can sit on my balcony late in the afternoon and watch and hear them as they return home in time for dinner.  I am always reminded of homing pigeons.  The story I have made up is they are executives who fly away early in the morning for a round of whatever important executives do to make all that money.  Then they have the luxury of coming home late in the day in time for dinner---on their private jet to their locally owned private airport, Perot Field (recognize that name?) .  The extravagant lives of the rich and sometimes famous as they jet off to their meetings and vacations.

The thing about this seemingly lavish life style is those who enjoy it come to take it for granted.  While thinking this over, I thought about the rest of us in the John Q. Public world.  In the eyes of the majority of the world, we also live very extravagant lives.  Have you ever talked to someone who migrated here from a third world country?  They are absolutely overwhelmed by the choices in the grocery store, and that is the tip of the iceberg of what we take for granted.  OH--and we are extremely put out if we have to travel very far to consume all that is offered here.  We do not just want things, we want it to be extremely convenient and easy to obtain things.  THUS AMAZON!  AND because we live in abundance and take it for granted, we do not stop to consider there are those in our midst who are living in not just want--but need.  It is a sad commentary on us, when we look straight through the blatant poverty in our midst.  NOW--I know this is a hot button.  I have volunteered in the least of these ministries and am well aware of the problems.  BUT---I am not in charge of judging, I am in charge of seeing the needs and answering the call as God directs.  Yes, there are abuses, but should those who are truly in dire straits suffer because there are some who abuse the system?  

Just as I know  I have opened a can of worms,  I also know I am only held accountable for how I respond and am not here to criticize and point fingers at not only those who abuse the help, but those with great wealth who ignore the needs.  Someday---I will be answering for my actions--not theirs.  YES, there are extremely wealthy among us---but we are the wealthy in the eyes of the world.  My response is being watched.  Am I a good steward of all that I have been blessed with?  Thinking about that today---with a cringe of guilt.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy

and where thieves break in and steal,

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys 

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is,

there your heat will be also."

Matthew 6:19-21