It's Not A Need

Four days after Christmas, Josie said something that made my blood boil.

She says it a lot, but I could not fathom her sincerity a mere 96 hours after getting every toy her little heart desired.

"Mom!  I'm BOOOORREEDDD!"


My first reaction was to send her to a third world country and show her a thing or two about being bored.

My second reaction was to scold her and demand that she go play with all her new swag.

It was my third reaction that got me thinking.

Where is this spirit of discontentment coming from?

I felt an answer in my heart two seconds after the question popped in my head, but I tried, oh how I tried, to find fault in anything else.

Commercials, her friends, just a part of a child's make up.

But at the end of the day, my initial gut check answer was the winner.

She gets it from me.

I honestly think that I am at a spot in life where I am happier, more fulfilled, and more content then I've ever been.

But I'm doing a sucky job of displaying it.

"There's nothing to eat."

"I've got nothing to wear."

A boring day results in a trip to Target which results in more material things coming home with us.

Seeing a friends new something or other causes an intense desire to have the same.

I get sick of my furniture.  Sick of the paint.  Sick of the same old.

I have no doubt that the words, "I need to..." escape my lips at least 20 times a day.

And not about good things like, "I need to fit in some Bible time" or "I need to spend some quality time with my kids."

Silly stuff.

Unneeded stuff.

Stuff that results in my four year old learning that it's boring to use what you have.  It's better to replace the old.  It's more fun be mindless then to live on purpose.

So I'm working on being as content outwardly and with my words as I am in my heart.

So thankful for all I've been blessed with.

We are staying home more and when boredom strikes, we are going to the park or building a fort or playing tag.

We are inviting friends over to play.

We are, slowly but surely, learning that we have all that we need.

Right here.