Enough?

Ever feel like you are doing enough?

My husband and I had a long talk last night. It was nice to know that we were on the same page, that we both were feeling a little guilty. A little too blessed is another way to describe it.

In what has become desperate financial times for some, has been the exact opposite for us. In the last week and a half, we have purchased new windows and a back door for our house, new tires for my mini-van and today my husband is going to sign for his new car. A car that never in a million years I thought we could afford or have. Add to that the initial money we have shelled out for select soccer for our oldest.

Now to give you some background, our windows in our house are 20 years old and were builders grade when they were installed back then. Some of them don't even open anymore and every winter we have to put up plastic weather proofing and still it is cold, drafty and expensive to warm, so windows are overdue. I cannot wait to have windows that I can open and that fold in easily to clean.

The tires were desparately needed on my van, everytime it rained my van would hydroplain. We knew that we needed to replace them before our trip up north to visit our good friends. Also a must.

Now the car isn't a must, but my husbands car is almost 8 years old, not old I know. However it makes me nervous to have only one car that my whole family can fit into. It has been paid off for a few years and my van was paid off in January. We don't want to ever go back to having 2 car payments. We have had 2 car payments since we have been married 14 years ago and it feels so nice not to have that.

The new SUV my husband might be signing for today is a beauty. It has all kinds of bells and whistles but most importantly it can fit all 6 of us and has a wonderful safety rating.

Last nigth my husband and I sat and started to talk. We were both feeling a little off about these things. We do not understand why we have so much and yet others have so little. Our house is small but we have the money to fix it up (like finishing our basement last year). But there are many with no home at all. And I know that money isn't everything but we also have love, respect, and honesty in our home.

Some have no cars to drive, who cares whether or not they are nice. Some are struggling to feed their family much less have the money for select soccer. And some have broken hearts.

So we have decided to start giving more. To start helping others more. We aren't exactly sure how to go about this yet. But it is in our hearts to do this.

We will open up our home more and be more gracious hosts. And instead of worrying that my kitchen still has the ugly blue countertop (the kitchen re-do is down on the list) or that our ugly mauve carpet is still in parts of our house, I will be thankful that we can host such a gathering. And enjoy our friends and their families.

When we see something at the store that we know someone else might need, we will get it and give it. We will buy someones elses meal, pay for the next person in line at the drive-thru or simply lend an ear. I will start to donate even more of what I have been doing. Whatever it is, we know that we aren't doing enough now.

Anyone else ever feel this way? Or is it just us?

Being able to give is definately a finer thing. This post is linked to Finer Things Friday.