The Pursuit Of Money

Reflections On My Son’s Addiction [The Pursuit Of Money]

• Bridge2Hope
• September 18, 2013
• Addiction, Child, Family, Reflections On My Son's Addiction

Sometimes, it seems that life is nothing more than work, eat, work, sleep, work, and then work some more. This constant pursuit of financial security can get tiring, and it can also interfere with “quality” time that could be spent pursuing less practical and more enjoyable activities. But making a living, supporting a family, fulfilling obligations, and providing for security are responsibilities that cannot be shirked. If you have never had to be a “provider,” I can see how it must look when you observe someone whose nearly every waking moment is consumed by meeting those challenges. In order for you to appreciate what being a provider means, consider the expenses that we must cover in order to meet our needs today and to provide for our needs in the future:

• Shelter: We have to pay for our house. Every month, we pay a bill for our mortgage, insurance on our house, and real estate taxes.
• Utilities: Electricity, gas for our furnace, telephone service, water and sewer bills and garbage collection have to be paid every month in order for these services to continue.
• Cars: Car payments are a fact of life for most people and must be paid every month in order to keep the car. To that, we have to add the cost of repairs, tires, inspections, gas, oil changes and insurance.
• Food: This expense is a necessity of life and has a cost every day.
• Clothes: Clothes wear out….become outgrown…become damaged…and have to be replaced/updated ongoing.
• Home Maintenance: Providing for landscaping, painting, repairs, and furnishings, this cost is a necessary item in any family budget.
• College Tuition: This cost is now up to $26,000 per year, or about $2,200 per month.
• College Expenses: On average, it costs us $35-50.00 per week, or $200 per month, for your books, supplies, and miscellaneous expenses.
• Medical/Dental Expenses: Your braces provided by the orthodontist were $3,500. Routine dental cleaning/check-ups cost another $1000.00 per year and doctor visits have a cost every time we go.
• Emergencies: We have to be prepared to meet an emergency at any time; for example, our hot water heater wore out this year and its replacement cost over $1,300.00.

We take our “provider” responsibilities very seriously and fulfill them willingly. We do not believe that it is anyone else’s job to take care of our family. We do not seek out or try to benefit from government programs….we pay our own way. We know that we could work less and have less, and we respect people who choose this course, but our choice is to have a comfortable home, a pleasant living environment, freedom from hunger and poor health, and the convenience and independence that come from adequately providing for our own needs. The dedication to working for these choices should not be confused with greed, or the sheer pursuit of money. On the contrary, working for what we have is a character-building value, and should be respected

and celebrated. Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Our faith in Jesus does in fact give us rest from our burdens of making a living and pursuing our dreams. He has always shown us a way to provide and we thank Him every day for our blessings. “Reflections on My Son’s Addiction” is a collection of essays that John C. wrote to himself that made the journey easier to understand and good decisions easier to make. Read more of John’s essays