All labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. (Ecclesiastes 4:4)My truck is 10 years old with 160,000+ miles. I love that truck – the best vehicle I've ever owned. I bought it from a woman whose husband was serving 12 years for vehicular manslaughter, and she needed the money. (No, I don't think my truck was involved in the accident.)
There's nothing special about my truck. It's not an extended cab, and doesn't even have power locks or windows. For my younger friends, that means one actually has to turn a crank to raise or lower the windows. I know. Archaic! Unthinkable! Unlocking it requires a key! Look it up in an encyclopedia.
When I bought my truck, Ben and Will were 9 and 6. Now they're 17 and alllllmost 14. The three of us fit a lot easier 8 years ago than we do now. Picture eyes bugged out, and elbows digging into ribs.
Here's my point. I'm content with my truck. Until, that is, I see a TV commercial for a flashy new car or truck... or I drive past the dealership... or one of my friends gives me a lift in his new ride. Then my contentment evaporates and I desperately need a NEW CAR!!! What was good enough is no longer sufficient. And what was not even a remote desire morphs into a raging lust. It's all about keeping up with the Joneses.
What new thing, bright and shiny, are you coveting?
For me the best thing that happened was a trip to a third world country. I won't say that there is never anything that I want, but it is a lot easier to say No to myself after that trip.
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