Values

It's that time of year. The election ads are finally off the air and we're going to be blasted constantly between now and December 24 by retailers wanting us to spend every penny we don't have on the latest hot items to win the love and appreciation of everyone around us (even some people we may not even like). What a crock!

I imagine that most of you know what the Secret Santa program is all about. You're given the name of a disadvantaged child and a list of presents that child wants for Christmas. If you like, you can also buy clothes and shoes. My child this year is a six-year old girl. Among the three presents she requested was something I had never heard of: Pixel Chix. (One of the reasons I do Secret Santa is to find out what the new toys are!) When I looked it up and then found it in the store, I was appalled. It's an electronic toy that comes in the shape of a car, house, or shopping mall and has a screen in the middle. When you turn it on a little two-dimensional girl cartoon character comes on the screen and starts spouting things about credit cards, sales, and shopping. It does nothing but promote consumerism.

I pondered a long time before I bought this toy for my little girl because I worried about the values it would teach her. I finally did buy it for her because it was one of only three things she asked for and why shouldn't she have one if all the other kids are carrying them around tied to their bookbags? However, I couldn't help but compare her list to the list of items we have been asked to gather to take to the orphan children in Russia. Rather than flashy toys that teach them to want to buy more things, we are taking such mundane things as toothpaste and socks. (I have read on some internet sites that if you do try to take nice toys to orphans in Russia that they wind up on the black market and the children never get to see them.)

We are so spoiled by material things in this country. We are so blessed to live here, but we have become blind to the basic values that really matter. Many of you know that one of my favorite websites is Flylady.net. Flylady teaches that we need to get rid of the STUFF(Something That Undermines Family Fun)that is holding us back from experiencing life on all levels, including our spiritual lives. I've found her advice very helpful as I cleaned out 60 years of clutter from my parents' house. Now I have to work on my own lifetime of stuff I've accumulated that I don't need.

My church just celebrated Consecration Sunday where we were challenged to give back to God a portion of what He has given to us. We owe Him everything but we quibble about whether we should tithe off our net or our gross. How sad. Part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip was to explore the culture of a country I've read so much about, but the closer I get to our departure on December 27 the more I realize how humbling it is going to be to share such a small piece of our bounty with these children. I have the feeling that they are going to give me much more than I will give them.

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