Enough

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income."
--Ecclesiastes 5:10

"Some people are never satisified. The Irish saint Columbanus is reported to have said, 'The man to whom little is not enough will not benefit from more.' We all know people like this. Give them an all-expenses-paid trip to an exotic destination and they complain about the view from the hotel room. Take them to a place of beautiful scenery, and they complain of being tired from all the traveling. Show them another culture with all of its marvelous characteristics, and they hate the food and the bathrooms. These kinds of people always find something wrong because they are looking for perfection on earth, a quality that is simply not available in this life.

"The verse above reflects the human condition of always wanting more, of never being satisfied or content. One way to practice the dscipline of simplicity is through a spirit of contentment. This is so contrary to the culture around us that people are bound to take notice. We can strive to be sincerely thankful for all of the little things in life. Sure, there may be struggles or things we wish were different or needs or wants we would like to see met, but we are invited to keep them from becoming our defining reality.

"When we respond in peace and joy to the question, 'how are you?' we can be a witness to others of God's goodness in all things."
--Valerie Hess