Oh, for the love of money...

Money is valued by carnies, as it is with anyone else in their job or career.  People sometimes ask what the carny terms for various denominations of money are.  Here are the ones I remember:

       

                                            Single–$1

Fin–$5
Sawbuck–$10
Double–$20
Half-a-Yard–$50
Yard–$100

I’m writing about money today, because I think about money more than I wish I did.  I’m on a planning team for an annual event, and every year we have at least one ‘freak-out’ moment that we won’t have enough donations to cover the expenses.  The event has gone on for four years with everything working out, so we get mad at ourselves when we doubt a little…and mad that dumb little green pieces of paper have too much power over our thoughts and faith.

In my personal life, I don’t wish for jewels or fancy cars or mansions…I plan, budget, and think about having enough–enough to pay the bills, travel to see relatives, get the kids new shoes when they need them–things like that.  Some might argue that it’s not wrong to want to pay bills and budget.  But all too often, I don’t feel ‘okay’ until my numbers work out for the month…seeing on paper that we’ll be able to meet all of the bills and pay for the unexpected repairs or purchases that come along.  That means I depend on money for security, when I should depend on God.  That could even mean….that I love money.  That definitely means I’ve got an area in my faith to keep working on.  I’m not saying that budgeting, planning, and paying your bills is wrong, by any means!  I simply point out that I usually let my mood and confidence be dictated by how those numbers are working out.  Pray for me as I learn to lean more and more on God’s promises and less and less on security through worked out budgets.

1 Timothy 6:9-11:  “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”