Living in Excess

Excess weight. Excess baggage. Excess money. Does living with too much deter us from the simplicity of what life was designed to be? 

This is not a spinoff of Super Size Me. This is not a relationship column instructing you to axe a toxic relationship. This is not me preaching about sharing your wealth with the poor. However, I do wonder if living in excess is clouding us from possibility of a more pure life. 

Americans are fortunate to have many amenities, many of which are unnecessary. Along with other first world countries, we believe we can do it all ourselves. We don't ask for help because the tools to accomplish something are within arms reach. But what about in second and third world countries? What do they do when they don't know what to do? A possible answer: pray. 

Recently, I heard a minister speak of healing and the power of prayer. He was talking about miracles, one of which happened in a country living in unimaginable poverty. They were praying, trying new avenues to reach God. Why don't these different techniques seem to work in the United States? Health care. Yep, we believe we can take care of it ourselves. And, why not? We have the means to do so. But, do we? God gave us the ability to have those resources. He gave doctors the skills to operate, medicate, and so on. 

We have way more than we need. I sit in my apartment and gaze at my surroundings. Yes, there are many "finishing touches" that I would like to complete in terms of decorating. I think back to my time in Haiti. I can't imagine any of the people I met there fretting about whether or not they should place a mirror or painting over the mantel. I wonder what they would consider excess. An extra pair of shoes that were bought from the market? This is ironic because those shoes most likely came from an American that thought they were junk. Our excess could be someone else's treasure.