What’s in your wallet?

So I had this great idea for my family. It was simple. Let's take place in the Advent Conspiracy. Basically, it's a movement that encourages two things. 1. Instead of giving each other gifts, let's spend our money and resources on people who have real needs this Christmas and 2. If we do give gifts, let them be creative, hand made and from the heart (poems, letters, cd's etc.). Learn more www.adventconspiracy.com Anyway, you would think this would go off as a simple suggestion, but . . . it didn't. My first reaction was anger, and then it was disgust. Why wouldn't anyone like to give to people who really need it? (I thought).



But here is what I have come to realize. When we talk about giving or sacrifice, much more than our needs are challenged. Now certainly, all of us have a want for things; that is why I can safely say that I own 2000 cd's, 150 DVD's and an imitation Ginsu knife. That combined with those 3000 ads a day that I am always talking about are already enough to make this kind of sacrifice and giving hard, but its more than that. You see, my brother did not want to do it because he enjoyed the attention he got when it was his turn to open the presents. My one sister was sad her children may be deprived, and my other sister said she would miss the tradition and time spent opening several gifts. Am I saying my siblings are bad people? No. On the contrary, they are just like you and I. You see, every one of us has reasons why we do not give and sacrifice enough. Maybe for me its materialism, but for you it could be your love of tradition, or that you are trying to preserve ideals for your kids, or possibly it could take your own personal recognition or glory. From the very beginning of our journey towards God, our paths are full of a variety of obstacles. Most of the time, we rarely take time to realize what they are. This lack of awareness is what causes us to almost lose our willingness to give and sacrifice immediately. How are we to be more like Jesus, if we are not even aware of what's holding us back? And when we do realize, how do we get the strength to eliminate our obstacles?


What's holding you back?