What is Poverty

I've been thinking about what poverty is, what it looks like, how it affects me and how it affects our culture. Technically, we personally have been living in poverty for about four years but I never think of myself as poor. We can't go out and buy a lot of things I think we need, let alone want, but I have found that being poor is not the same thing as poverty. Poverty is a feeling, it is a mentality. Sometimes it's sad that I can't get things, sometimes it is frustrating, but I am so thankful for what we do have. We own vehicles but have no payments, we have two homes, one rented out, one we rent; we have beautiful antique furniture that I love; we have books and books and books, which make me feel rich; we have electricity so that I can find anything and just about anyone on the internet, and I am as close as a click to our kids;

So what is poverty? I don't think it has anything to do with how much money we have, or what things we have. I spent time in Guatemala and they are very poor in material things but they laugh and play and make a life worth living.  I'm beginning to think poverty is thinking we have to buy things for ourselves and our kids that will provide an appearance of wealth. Real poverty is thinking we have less value because we don't live in fancy houses and drive expensive cars or  dress in brand names.  You can have a lot of money and think this, and you can have no money and think this.

By the way, we drove a Cadillac Escalade for a number of years and I loved it, and we will drive one again when we can pay cash for it, and we are planning to rebuild our family house to be big and beautiful. I won't defend what we do with our resources because that would be motivated by that feeling of less worth for not having them, and that is poverty to me.

I guess, like most things,  it comes down to motive. I have determined that I will not base my value, my confidence, my relationships, on what I own, or how much money I spend. I will dream dreams and plan for days when we have more, I will spend carefully what we now have; I will be thankful in all things; I will be content; I will not judge others for how they live their lives; I will not  be poverty minded.