A Week Without

This past week (1/8/07 – 1/12/07), "Good Morning America" did a series concerning how Americans live when the things many people rely on such as makeup, cell phones, debit cards and coffee are taken away for one week.

They found people who relied on the item in question and then followed them for one week as they tried to live without it.

They conducted an online poll asking the question: Which of the following could you not live without, even for a week?

Of 6,249 responses 2,171 said coffee, 1,876 said debit/credit cards, 1,199 said their cell phone and 1,003 said makeup.

I know two individuals in particular who could not function without a pot of coffee in each of them!

I know a gentleman, as well, who could not make it through the day with at least one cell phone on his waist at all times. Why do I say "at least one"? Because He owns 4 cell phones and has three phone lines in his home! His wife has often said when they bury him they're going to have the casket retrofitted with a phone jack and an antenna!

It started me thinking about the things we depend on to bring ease into our daily routine. Nearly everyone has something that they rely on every day to alleviate the stress of their daily chores.

While I am probably among those who rely on their cell phone the truth of the matter is that I rely on my wife more than anything. More specifically, my wife’s purse!

Everything I own lives in my wife’s purse! My wallet, the cell phone, my pen, carmex, the keys and anything else I need to have handy during the day. I know I depend on her (and her purse) because when she is not around I often find myself discombobulated.

I hate carrying stuff in my pockets and I don't know what to do with stuff when my wife isn't around with her purse. I don't want my wallet in my back pocket and a pen in my shirt pocket and keys in my pants pocket. It's too much stuff on me. I just need my wife's purse!

The GMA series was interesting to me because it allowed the reader a moment to pause for much needed self-evaluation.

I don’t think we (“we” meaning Americans and Christians) spend enough time engaging in self-evaluation. I know I don’t.

I think it is healthy to spend some time every once in a while, either with a loved one or a journal, evaluating our priorities and examining the trends we’ve been developing in our families and lives.

I know one thing for certain, our family genuinely depends upon God. We have found Him to be faithfull in every situation.

Every night I pray over my family and I not only believe He will keep and protect us, I know He has been the One who has brought us this far.

I honestly don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have the Lord to depend on.

When my daughter or my wife is sick I pray with confidence that He will heal them. When the funds are low and the debts are high I pray with assurance that God will provide for our needs and He has done just that time and time again.

It is no cliché when we say we could not make it without Jesus!

I was glad that I was asked to evaluate what makes me and my family “tick”. It caused me to realize and appreciate, now more than I had in the past, how much of what we have is the direct result of the hand of the Lord on and in our lives.

So my advice is to slow down, step back and take it all in. Don't miss what's really going on. Get an understanding of the "big picture" in your life and family.

Sometimes a step back to take in the big picture, as well as some critical evaluation, can cast new light on things we’ve been simply accepting or taking for granted. Sometimes we’ve been missing the forest for the trees.

I now know what I couldn’t go a week without,…my wife’s purse!