The other day Greg got off work early, so we made a trip down to the zoo for the afternoon. Some friends also came with us, as their Dad wasn't working either. After an enjoyable time, we started to head home. The roads kind of wander all over getting out of the zoo, so we meandered around Portland, and then headed home. For a while you pass through a few very wealthy neighborhoods that are incredibly old, beautiful and classic. They also have mainly Mercedes' or BMW's parked out front. Then you end up down in the Pearl District which is full of neat shops and restaurants (of which I couldn't find a picture that did it justice).
On the way home, the kids all fell asleep (yes, all 3, which is pretty amazing, although they did wear themselves out at the zoo) so that gave Greg and I a chance to visit peacefully. We talked about what we love about going to Portland, but also admitted that what we love is also what we hate. We love the new gourmet foods, the yummy coffees, the endless shelves of books at Powell's (which has 5 floors of new and used books!), the markets, the unique antique stores, the funky shops, REI and North Face stores, Whole Foods, etc. The reason we don't like it though, is that all these things glorify the flesh. They bring out the materialism in us, and make us focus on ourselves rather than the needs of others (namely our children at this point in life). When we see these things, we want them. And the more we see, the more we want. If we don't know they exist, it's hard to desire them.
The Bible tells us to set our affections on things above, not things on earth, and we concluded that this falls into that category for us. We as Christians may think we are setting our affections above, but what we do with our time really indicates where our priorities are. If I never go to Target or Walmart, I don't know what great clearance sales I'm missing. But when I go, I undoubtedly buy stuff I don't need, just because it's a great deal. Which also doesn't fit in the "no extra spending" category. I do have to admit this is hard on me. I love to shop. I love great deals. I'm already dreaming about garage sale season where I can pick up some super-duper deals on little girl things (I received so many gifts, that I haven't got to buy anything yet, for which I'm thankful; but do enjoy buying cute little clothes as much as the next woman!).
The second part of this, is that when we're doing that stuff, our kids become a hassle and bother. They don't fit in that agenda. They don't want to sit quietly in the stroller while we stroll and sip lattes all day. They don't want to sit like statues in a cozy little restaurant eating food that isn't familiar. (although they do LOVE sushi, which we pick up from the grocery store occasionally). They don't like to be patient while we browse endless books. And that becomes a problem.
The third part is that when we see all those nice houses, we feel pretty lame with our square box house. It is absolutely the opposite of being thankful for what we have. Although I wouldn't say we get jealous, we just dream of having something really nice someday. Our house is perfectly perfect for us, but seeing fancy stuff makes us feel like we should be working towards more. I can't say that those feelings would be God-driven either.
So the conclusion we came to was, we'll enjoy going to "the city" occasionally on dates, and that can be where it ends (unless it's something else kid friendly). We'll set a budget, enjoy spending the time and money together, and then go back and enjoy our real life up on the hill, in the country where we can enjoy the things that are more "us". Things like working together weeding the garden, hauling wood, feeding chickens, washing cars. Things that are educational for the kids, and bring our family together instead of apart. And things that are free (or cheap). I'm actually really thankful that Longview is a pretty lame town. It has everything we need, but I never want to spend much time there unnecessarily, so instead I spend that time at home...because...I know myself too well. Shopping is definitely one of my bigger weaknesses.
