Deny Yourself

We live in one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Yet we are spiraling out of control. Our national debt continues like a rapid countdown clock on a bomb ready to explode. Time is running out. What troubles me the most is the way we think we can buy our way out. Our finances are stretched to the max. Our time is all often misused. This continues to spiral so fast that we think this is the norm.
The people of Haiti do not have a postal service (as we know). It is a luxury just to own a vehicle let alone afford to put gas in it. Owning a home is, well, I wouldn't call it a house - but they do and it's their castle. At best probably the finest homes were four room cinder block with no windows. Slats were built into the concrete to provide ventilation. A Haitian house could almost easily fit into my living room. Six foot privacy fences consist of hedges of cactus. I know few burglar's who would attempt to scale a wall of cactus. I saw no parks and few fast food restaurants. There was nothing luxury about anything in Haiti. Even the resort that we spent the last day relaxing was at best a 2 star according to our standards.
But Haitian's possess something that I almost envy: no agenda other than survival. Purpose and intention in just about everything they do. Life is simple or so it seems. I saw no one who appeared starved. I saw poverty and filth but I saw smiles and giggles from children in the villages. Picture this; dust and rock, dust and more rock, a village center with a hand water pump. Picture a central location where people are gathered to do their laundry and yes - take a bath. Then look across the way into the cesspool of dirty water and picture a pig lying in pure heaven. That was one pig you could never get me to eat - no matter how long it was cooked. I go, go, go and at times become very tired. Tired to the point of exhaustion. It's what I've done for so long that it is normal and I am happy. I'm doing what I like to do and have many things. That's the luxury of living in America. I'm to the point though that I am ready to start denying myself what I really don't need. I'm happy with my house, happy with my car, happy with my jobs. I'm no longer drivin to have the latest and best. OK (unless someone wants to buy me an IPad). I'm more focused on putting my time into something more beneficial - taking up my cross and following Him (Jesus). So what exactly does that mean. To me it means letting the whole world see that I am guilty of following the One who died for all. America I am sold out and my light is shining bright. My life is all because of Jesus Christ and He alone.