from a book I have just started…
Quote:
. . . . MONEY CAME BY THE HOUSE the other day. As soon as I opened the door to let him in I sensed that something was wrong. He walked aimlessly into the livingroom and plopped himself into my favorite chair.
“Okay, if I sit here?”
“Sure, Money, can I get you something to drink?”
Money sometimes drops by to discuss his problems, so I wasn’t totally surprised to see him looking so discouraged.
“Got any diet drinks?”
He waited to catch my eye and then added, “I’ve put on a few pounds lately.”
I just shook my head. Money was the master of the bad pun. I handed him his drink and then we got down to business.
“Money, if you don’t mind me saying so you look horrible. You haven’t been fighting with Greed again have you?”
“No, it’s just that I’m depressed.” He looked at me with those sad green eyes and continued on.
"I get blamed for everything. Everything! A man gets himself deep into debt. Does he face up to his problem? No, he whines, ‘I just don’t have enough Money.’ A woman gets into a terrible fight with her husband.
Do they try to understand what they are really fighting over? No, it’s always, ‘We are fighting over Money.’ I’m hoarded, I’m stolen, I’m wasted and I’m misunderstood.
“Just yesterday, I was walking down the street and someone stopped me and said, ‘Aren’t you Security?’ Before I could answer they blurted out, ‘No, no, you’re not Security, you’re Glamour. No? Well, you sure look like Glamour to me.’”
Money looked over at me and I thought he was going to burst into tears. “You know I am not God,” his sad voice trailed off and he sank back into my easy chair.
Just then my wife walked into the living room, “Hey, honey, look — it’s Money.”
My sweet wife, Jamie, unaware of what was being discussed, blurted out, “Money, are you feeling okay? You don’t look well.” And he was off again.
“I’m fine, I’m fine, it’s people that make me crazy!” Jamie looked over at me and I just rolled my eyes and motioned for her to sit down.
“I’m a complex creation. Did you know that there are over two thousand verses in the Bible that talk about me? Did you know that over half the parables mention me?”
Before we could say anything Money answered his own questions. "No, of course not.
"God writes a book that completely explains me, but does anyone take the time to read it? No, they just grab at me, and pull on me and throw me around like dogs fighting over an old bone.
“Nobody treats Charity like that. Everyone loves Charity, but if it wasn’t for me Charity would be a nobody.” Jamie and I just listened. Sometimes when Money was having troubles the best thing to do was just be attentive.
"Do the two of you remember Solomon? I gave that boy everything. But, he respected me. I can remember like it was yesterday that time we had lunch and he told me, ‘ You know, Money, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”
(Ecclesiastes 5:10)
“Now that was a smart kid who really understood me. He appreciated my finer qualities.”
Money eased back into my chair and for the first time that day I saw him smile. Thinking about the good old days with Solomon appeared to have a calming effect.
“Jamie, Bob — you know what I am?”
Jamie and I looked at each other not quite sure how to respond.
"Well, I’ll tell you. In the end I am simply a magnifying glass for a man’s heart. I really never give or take, I just magnify what is already in a man’s heart. People with anger in their hearts become angrier and use me to dominate others. People with fear in their hearts use me to build a bigger fortress to hide behind. Lust with Money turns into addictions of every kind. And with enough Money and Pride you become your own god.
“On the other hand, a content heart uses Money for great service. Hope with Money gives birth to actions of help and comfort. Humility and Money fills the world with secret acts of kindness. And a heart full of love uses me to create more love, like ripples on a pond.”
Money got up and walked to my front door.
“Money, you feeling better?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s not such a bad job after all. It just gets to me every once in a while.”
“I understand.”
We hugged and as he walked out the door he turned, gave me a little smile and said, “I guess I was just feeling a little spent.”
.
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from: Money Came by the House the Other Day: A Guide to Christian Financial Planning and Stories of Stewardship…Robert Katz