I would like to add a note to our understanding of poverty versus abundance.  First, of course, each of our lives is (usually) not completely poor or plenty.  We will have areas of life that we have a lot in (for example, health perhaps) at the same time as having a lack in another area (perhaps we have not been blessed with children, for example).

Secondly, no matter what the area is, it is not merely a black and white choice between 'I have some' or 'I don't have any'.  Rather I think our view should be the following.  We have periods of seedtime (spring), nourishing and growing (summer), harvest (autumn), and enjoyment of the fruits that we have store of (winter -- a barren period).  Also we have times of inner preparation for another seedtime (also winter).  So maybe instead of just determining only 'poverty' or 'abundance', we could examine a little further and say to ourselves:  "Have I planted a seed here yet?  Do I even have a seed to plant?  Do I know what I'm doing -- the rules for this type of planting?  What is the soil like?  Does it need water?  Does it need protection from the elements?  Am I being patient through the process of growth?  Have I done the weeding?  Is it harvest time?  Am I doing the harvest work or am I leaving thing on the vine to waste and rot -- or to drop seed?  Do I have a bounteous harvest but I fear to eat the fruit (let it sit and rot)?  Do I have enough in my store to share with others?  Did I not get quite enough harvest this time around to last through the barren period?  Et cetera.

Tags: Poverty Wealth Abundance Harvest Mortality Choices

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