The Root of All Evil?

Is money the root of all evil?  Maybe not so much anymore.  Its easier go on welfare than it is to work.  If you're not willing to work, why would you want to make the effort to steal.  Most of the people I see on street corners with a sign, lying for money, can't even do that right.  I suppose there is the argument that they are lying to get the money, so that in itself evidences evil in the activity.

 

In reality the phrase really held no water from its inception.  Murder, rape, child molesting, not done for money.  Well, not always.

 

Then there is Christian Ballard.

 

Christian just up and walked away from the Minnesota Vikings training camp.  What?  But, what of the money?  That pro football paycheck?  Seems like Christian had an epiphany.  In his own words as he stated in an interview:

 

"I wasn't really having a good time playing football.  It wasn't fun for me.  It wasn't a blast for me. Making that much money, that was fun. But money is still a material thing. You can always make money. You can't make that time that you lose with your friends and your loved ones. Time is something that you can never get back."

 

So Christian discovered that the money wasn't enough, there was more to life.  He will continue his education and spend more time with his son.  For some, the lure of lights, cameras and fame is what they live for.  For others, like Christian, perhaps the lure was there but the fame and the money just wasn't everything they hoped for. 

 

Sometimes money really isn't everything.  Like Christian says, "You can always make money."  I'd like to get this across to the panhandlers on those street corners, but they have no intention of looking for a job as is evidenced by them occupying the same street corners year after year.  You can't look for work if your feet are cemented to a curb. 

 

Christian is also right about not being able to get back the time you lose.  I know this from experience.  I lost much of the time in my daughter's life, and a bit of my son's, due to my divorce.  Time I will never get back.  More than money, time is the most precious commodity.  Many of us have not had that realization yet.  Many of us have, but refuse to admit it to ourselves.  We're too busy making money.

 

Money isn't always the root of all evil, no more than time heals all wounds.  I think money is supposed to make life a bit easier so we can enjoy the time, and the people, we have here on earth.  You don't need a lot of it, just enough to allow you to have the time.  We get caught in the vicious cycle caused by our desire for "stuff," mistakenly thinking that this "stuff" will make our lives fuller and happier.  We work ourselves to death to keep this lifestyle of "stuff."  God forbid we should lose it all, we'd kill ourselves.  Over stuff?  Its just stuff!

 

I wake up every morning and know I have food and a roof, clothing and a little cash in the bank.  I have two children that are thriving, two grandchildren that are precious, and parents that have their health.  I am blessed with what I have.  If I have no job and no money, I would still consider myself rich.

 

What makes you rich?