Ever wish there was something more you could do for someone? I pretty much always feel that way. I wish I had more influence in the world, more access to funds and time at my disposal to disperse said funds. I've come to realize that a lot of my friends' problems could be solved with more money. Of course, those who actually do have the means to help others find that it is not as simple as throwing money at them.
We've all imagined in our lives what we would do if we ever got a million dollars. (Granted, it doesn't sound like very much money in today's economy, and probably wouldn't go far unless invested very carefully.) One older and wiser man once told me that if he ever came into that kind of money, he wouldn't tell anyone but his wife. His response surprised me a bit; I didn't take him for a secretive or overly private man. But his explanation made a lot of sense.
Money makes enemies, even of family members. Everyone thinks they know better how to spend your money than you do, and even if you do regularly help out financially, those same friends and family will wonder why you don't do more. It's just human nature to start relaxing and become reckless with money once we don't have to worry about whether or not it's coming.
I've heard of lotto millionaires who became so depressed after winning that they committed suicide. I'm not sure if there is any validity to this, but I wouldn't be surprised. We are creatures of achievement; we need work to feel happy and fulfilled.
Proof in point is the example of communal plots of land--back at the founding of our country, a few towns tried harvesting their crops based on a rotating community-wide schedule. Those towns inevitably went hungry. To me this means the community land was too far removed from the immediate needs of the individual family. It was easy to slack off and say, "Well, somebody will do the weeding, even if I don't. I'll still get to eat this winter, even if I take today off to go fishing." I can just imagine this attitude spreading through the town, and once everyone took a day off, a lot of the crop was lost. As soon as these towns divided the land up to individual families, however, the town prospered.
So not only do receivers start to become lazy or even greedy, the givers can start to feel taken for granted and resent their friends. It is very easy to start observing the receiver's spending habits--why are they still eating out every week when they can't pay all their bills? Why are they still buying the latest and greatest electronic gadgets when their rent is due? Giving and receiving can be bad for both parties involved.
Yet there are benefits that come from the suffering involved in not knowing how we will survive another month. Those in distress, particularly financial distress, tend to draw closer to the Lord, praying and studying their scriptures more diligently than before, reconfirming their testimony of Christ. As I see it, our relationship with the Lord is completely independent of whatever befalls us in this life--much like the story of Job in the Bible.
Job was a very prosperous man, but he lost everything. Instead of cursing the Lord, he kept on praying, holding on to his faith, proving his relationship with God was worth more than any earthly riches, including his physical health or the support of a family (he lost his wife and children in addition to his lands and riches). I doubt most of us will have to endure what Job did, yet there will be times when we feel like God is picking on us. (He's not--if anything, He allows us these trials as an opportunity to become better people. And sometimes improvement comes with pain.)
Trials can also help families be more grateful for what they DO have--each other--and be patient when it takes a while to recover from financial problems. Trials can be like a reset button in life, taking us back to the true essentials for happiness. Many families stop eating out and sit down together for family meals more often. Family members then get the chance to bond and eat healthier. The more expensive forms of entertainment are often replaced with the simple ones, like single-player video games for multi-player board games and family picnics--again, a time to bond with loved ones and create supportive environments for young, developing minds.
So while I can't exactly say at this point that I'm grateful for trials, I can at least acknowledge their value. In the meantime, it doesn't hurt to do a little dreaming about what I'd do with a million dollars...
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