But the flights also gave me some time to sit and reflect on exactly what we were doing... we were going to another country to pick up our "stuff". It was all just "STUFF".
We considered it a blessing 18 months ago when we left the states that we were blessed with "humanitarian tickets" and allowed 3 checked bags each. At the time we considered it a blessing because we had eliminated so many things... it was hard compacting our lives into 9 footlockers, and 2 suitcases... We couldn't imagine packing it into less.
When we moved to Thailand, we didn't get these rare extra baggage tickets again... Plus, overseas tickets generally don't allow for as much weight as USA tickets. Thus, a great deal of our stuff had to be airshipped. It was stuck in customs for almost a month. We ran into these problems again when we moved to Indonesia - thus our recent trip.
But all this made me start wondering again about some articles I read years ago about the three main idols of western culture 1) Materialism, 2) Comfort, and 3) Entertainment. I had really thought we had kicked these idols to the curb moving overseas... but maybe not yet...
We enjoy luxuries far beyond those people around us. We have given up (and rightly so) expressing to those around us "we're not that rich"... In this place, we are rich and honestly live like 'rich people'. (perhaps not what you think of as rich in the states). We enjoy movies, good internet, and have the resources to fly to Bangkok for the weekend (not regularly, but we can go) and when there is a physical problem, we can go to a doctor.
We have been told repeatedly, for our own mental health, since we grew up in the States, we should never be ashamed of those amenities that are necessary for life for us. If we have the resources to buy them, it is generally okay to buy them. But it still makes me wonder if we have too much.
We we leave this city of language learning and move to our final city, we will have 5 people - and even our newest baby will received a full seat and 2 checked bags. 10 checked pieces total. Still short of what we came overseas with... and we have been given another suitcase to help carry her stuff! We think we are allowed to pack down the vehicle being driven over for us... which would help us get stuff there... But still we will have to do another purge... and probably rightly so... and God conitnues show us who He is and the place HE should take in our life... not our entertainment, comfort, or material possessions.
Blessings