So, what is it about getting stuff that makes us want more stuff? We had gone a full 2 months without having treats in the house. We were cutting back on spending so there were no trips to Chuck E. Cheese or the movies and we were quite content. Everyone found something that they loved and were grateful for and life was good. Then I had my birthday and I bought enough treats and rented enough movies to keep the kids happy (and not needing anything) for a day. Eric took the kids out to dinner that night and they did a few more fun things together. They were still enjoying the treats and movies the next day, but by the third day my littlest one was complaining that she never got anything good. Where does that come from?
I remembered that my older kids would do that when they were little, too. If we had a splurge of good times, instead of ending up happier and more grateful, the kids would become more whiney and discontented. I have wonderful kids, and I know it's not just a Dotson-Family failing... but what is it about receiving more that causes the "I Wannas" to rear its ugly head?
I have a theory.
It goes back to the "natural man" thing. There is an eternal principle at work here. We know that to be carnally-minded, or focused on the things of the world, is death and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal. It doesn't mean that if we eat out two days in a row we're going to die; it's more of a feed-your-body vs. feed-your-soul thing. That which we do not NEED can never satisfy. Our bodies need nutrition, water, sleep and love in order to flourish. If we replace nutrition with junk food, our bodies will crave more and more because we are not satisfying our nutritional needs. No matter how many cupcakes we stuff into our mouths, we will not feel satiated until we deliver the good stuff. I believe the same is true with our souls. If we are feeding our bodies' appetites for fun and frivolous activities and not our spirits, we are just stuffing ourselves with spiritual junk food. Our souls need light, truth and love in order to flourish and feel satisfied. When we focus on ourselves and our own wants, we find ourselves wanting more and more in an attempt to gratify our spirits' yearnings.
The Cure: It's funny, really. I turned Melia into my "servant-girl". The next day she followed right by my side and assisted me with every, little task and chore on my list. She helped load the washer and fold the clothes; she helped do the dishes and sweep the floors; we cleaned her room and bathroom. It was a long day filled with work. In my mind, I designed this plan to "teach her a lesson"... but, instead, she had... fun. She loved being my little helper and working side-by-side with me. At the days' end, when I was tucking her into bed, she gave me a tight squeeze and told me that it was the best day she had ever had! So, we talked about it for a little while. Why was it so good? She couldn't find the words to express it. She just knew that she felt good inside. Isn't that interesting? Her soul was satisfied because it was filled with service and obedience and love. Think about all those parents out there who don't want to deny their children all the "good" things of life. They're giving their first-graders I-Phones & Playstations, signing them up for every activity under the sun and going on several vacations a year in an attempt to satisfy their childrens' every want. We're missing the point and feeding our children's souls nothing but junk.
So, my goal as a mom is to find more ways to fill my children's days with light and truth and love. It makes sense that we're counseled to set aside one night a week for Family Home Evening. That's one night each week when we can sit together as a family without the distractions of Facebook, texting, and television and talk to each other; truly communicate the things that are important to our better selves. We also start each day with family prayer and scripture study. I did this more out of obedience than understanding at first, but I've seen the blessings that come from it. My children will discuss how the scriptures apply to what is going on in the world today and they know to their cores that there is more to life than the trivial things that they have to deal with each day. But, more importantly, we now know that we're feeding their souls with light and truth when we start the day with scriptures and prayer. It's like their souls' breakfast! Beyond that, I need to find a way to feed their need for service and love. Chores are important, but they can feel more like a "to-do" list than a service to others. I need to do a little searching to see what options are out there.
I'll keep you posted.
Agreed! That was truly AWESOME mother!
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