Sure Fire Investment

The Pilgrims had fled to the shores of this unsettled land to escape persecution and find the freedom to worship God as they saw fit. Their first year was extremely difficult. Disease wiped out over half of the original colonists. Its hard to imagine the emotional and physical challenges they faced daily. Yet as they gathered their hard-won harvest in the fall of that first year, they took the time to give thanks to their Creator. Im not sure I could be so thankful if I watched family and friends die. Im not sure I would have been thankful while breaking my back just to survive. But they knew that even in the face of hardship and grief, they were blessed. They had more than they needed. The Pilgrims arent the only ones who have led thankful lives. More recent generations have struggled through hardship of their own, including two world wars and the Great Depression. Those living in those times knew what it was like to do without.

Yet they were thankful for living in the greatest country on earth. How times have changed! The only reason we miss a meal nowadays is because were on a diet. Many buy new clothes just to have the latest color or style. The national savings rate is at an all-time low and spending is up. What lessons can we learn from our founding fathers and our grandfathers that will help us achieve a better balance in our own lives? First, we have to stop defining wealth by our quantity of material possessions. Its an old saying, but there are many things that money cant buy: love, health, family, and friends. When is the last time you measured the value of those kinds of assets? Second, we need to refocus our investments.

I dont mean investments of money, of course, but investments of ourselves: our time, our attention, our love. Ive been doing just that. Earlier this year, I made the decision to give up my nice office in town and start working from home. This wasnt done for financial reasons, but from an inner conviction that I needed to spend more quality time with my wife and children. Many children dont get to spend much time with their grandfather. Often its because his time and energy are invested in urgent activities. He is missing the opportunity to leave a legacy that is far more important then money.