Thursday, January 20, 2011

God doesn't want me to have a new couch

OK, I only have one more thing to say about the whole furniture store incident, and that thing is, I'm pretty sure God doesn't want me to have a new couch.

I think I was touched by the hand of God, and his touch was like "Don't buy the couch Jessee."

THAT is why the jerk salesman was in my path.  He was the hand of God!

Don't you get it??  Clearly, I wasn't meant to have a new couch (Or bedroom furniture I guess.  Poor kids don't get new mattresses either.  Thanks a lot God.)

I'll tell you why.  Because after the incident, when we went home, I was thinking maybe I could do something else instead.  Maybe I can just wait a while, sock away what we were going to spend on all of that stuff and do something great with it.  Something greater than a new couch.

No, not a trip to the wine country.  That would be a little selfish.  And that would also be a little lame, because I'm not much into wine.  So then I'd be all driving around the wine country with a bunch of drunks and I'd end up having to be the designated driver.  Well now that doesn't sound too appealing. 

But here's the thing.  I really really have been wanting to go to on a mission, for like the past many years.  I think most missions are pretty churchy, and I am not all that churchy.  But I still want to go and do something good.  Like to help.  I could go to Peru.  Not to hike up Machu Pichu, however that would be pretty freaking awesome, but to work in the orphanages.  To help somehow.  I've always wanted to do it.  My sister and niece went to Peru the past few years and worked at an orphanage for deaf children, and they loved it so much.  They really felt like they made a difference.

Maybe if instead of the couches and other miscellaneous furniture, I just put aside what I was going to spend, and use it to go to Peru.  Or to Haiti.  Or to another place where I can be useful.  And less selfish.  And if it is a little unrealistic for me to be able to go somewhere to help like right now, I could just donate the money to a group or to an organization that does the kind of helping that is important to me.

It doesn't seem like all that hard of a choice, does it?

See that?  I think the jerk salesman was just there to point me away from the couches.  To point me to Peru.  Or to Haiti.

*Check this out, I was doing a little research and I found this organization that I had heard about before, Heifer International, which is an organization whose mission is to help end world hunger by helping people obtain a sustainable souce or food and income :

"Heifers Equal Hope



When a family has a cow, every morning there's a glass of rich milk for the children to drink before heading off to school. Classes are paid with the income from the sale of milk, and there's even enough to share with the neighbors.


A good dairy cow can produce four gallons of milk a day - enough for a family to drink and share with neighbors. Milk protein transforms sick, malnourished children into healthy boys and girls. The sale of surplus milk earns money for school fees, medicine, clothing and home improvements.


Better still, every gift multiplies, as the animal's first offspring is passed on to another family-then they also agree to pass on an animal, and so on.


And because a healthy cow can produce a calf every year, every gift will be passed on and eventually help an entire community move from poverty to self reliance. Now that's a gift worth giving!"

Seriously, one cow is almost the same exact amount of money I was going to spend on a chair.  One chair.  Pretty interesting perspective.

3 comments:

  1. I have a couch I will sell you. It's been in storage for about 5 years, and probably smells like pee and mold. So I will only make you pay $650.

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  2. Hi!
    I'm a volunteer Volunteer Coordinator for Heifer International (in Arizona) and saw your post. I wanted to let you know that not only does $500 buy ONE cow, it actually helps many families because the family that receives the cow is required to also Pass On the Gift to another family in their community, and so on. (That is their "contractual" requirement to Heifer.) So each gift to Heifer is automatically expanding and continuous!

    Heather for Heifer Phoenix

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  3. Whoops - I should've read further. I got so excited :) seeing your post, that I stopped reading. You already know about the passing on! :) Anyway, it really does make a real difference for these families and their communities. :)

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