Are You Spoiled Rotten Or Is It Just Me?

 Like everyone I knew we were very poor . My earliest memory of a house was a small trailer in a run down trailer park. Our house was not nearly as big as the “glampers” that are used nowadays to (rough it) out in the wild, way out there in a travel park complete with showers, water, and electric hook ups. As you can see in this photo of me in 1956, we didn’t have glamorous digs, a manicured lawn, or even clothes that fit. I always needed a bath, apparently cut my own hair, and I don’t know why I’m holding what looks like a pool cue? I can promise you we didn’t have a pool table. It must have been part of my PPE (personal protection equipment). 

Poor Is Not All Bad

The best thing about being poor was that I didn’t know we were poor and living inside that tiny trailer which was parked in a run down trailer park was quite awesome! That crappy old park was absolutely full of little kids like me, all poor, all dirty, and all wild as rabbits. My dad did the best he could as a milkman and I never went completely without food. There was always something to eat. It may not be what I wanted but I never starved. There are many memories and stories from my time there in that tiny trailer both good and bad. I have written of my many exploits as a kid, but this article is not really about that except, I think being poor as a child had a positive effect on me when I grew older.

The Road To Spoilage 

When I had kids of my own, I wanted them to have “more”. I didn’t want them to live in a tiny trailer or in a bad part of town. I wanted them to have “everything” and to be honest I also wanted everything, all the creature comforts that everyone else had. This kind of thinking began the “keeping up with the Jones’ ” race in which most of us have competed. I never won a single lap in that race. I worked very long hours and still always had too much month left at the end of the money.  Yet somehow I still managed to become spoiled. How is that even possible? It’s possible because I lost sight of almost everything that I was put here for and instead worked only for money. 

I was focused on success and to me that mean’t money. How could anybody be successful without having a pile of money? Even in my minuscule Bible knowledge at the time, I could justify my thinking with the “go forth and be fruitful” command from God. Of course I twisted that into meaning money. Isn’t it convenient how we can take a scripture, misquote it, and spin it to fit our own agenda?

 Spoiled I Became

I got used to “creature comforts” good food, air conditioning, clothes and shoes that fit, cable TV, internet, decent transportation, and all the other toys that go with being spoiled. Each spoiled person has their own personalized list. I got dependent on my list and spoiled I became.

Justified

In addition to the Bible, I used my meager “poor boy” childhood as justification for spoiling myself. Since my early life was tough, I deserved the bigger cable package, big screen TV, new car, and even upscale underwear. Working long hours and almost always 2 jobs. I felt it was my money, and I deserved all this “stuff”. 

 You might notice a word used a lot in this article, a very short word, “I”, and in it’s other forms me or my (48) times so far. It’s the single most used word here which says a lot about human nature. People like to talk about themselves because we are spoiled. Being spoiled is pride and pride is my major besetting sin. God hates pride because it comes from our heart and our heart should belong to Him.

Our Nation and much of the world is spoiled. It is evident during the current corona virus pandemic. People are frightened and they are afraid not only because they or their loved ones may become sick, people don’t want to give up their creature comforts. Nothing changed much in our supply of food and goods but people rushed out and cleaned off the shelves.                                                                                                                        Toilet paper and bottled water were gone first. 

 Why We Are Here

Committing my life to the Lord just 15 months ago changed my life for the better in every aspect. I strive always to become a better servant, to spread Gods word, and represent myself as a Christian at all times. The Holy Spirit guides me, and helps me but I still sin, hence the blog name thedailysinner. I am still spoiled and pride still creeps into my daily life, but I am forgiven.

Ephesians 1:7 

“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Anyone can be forgiven. You too can have a new life of abundance and happiness.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life”

John 3:16