If I were a rich man...

                       I never wanted or cared to be financially rich.

          One of the harder things in life for most of the men I know, is to not be able to give the ones they love the things their hearts desire.

       There is very little that I need or value. God. My Wonderful Wife and kids, three squares of real food ( meat, potatoes, more meat and skip the potatoes ) and maybe a cup of cold coffee waiting for me when I wake up and go to work.

                                                    That's about it.

             Tools and toys are good, but without time to play with them, they tend to be functionally useless..

                                                         Money and time.

              The problem is that we tend to juggle one with the other, trying to find an impossible balance of two extremely finite resources. To make it more interesting, we usually and inherently lack in both...

            It is not the lack of these true treasures that trouble me most.

                  If the best you are is paycheck to paycheck, that is not a real detriment when single.

          Raman noodles, instant coffee and a sea bag for your clothes is more than sufficient.

             Throw in a couple double quarter pounders with cheese, a large fry and Mountain Dew and all is right with the world. You hold the brass ring in your still greasy hands...

                        But married with children, paycheck to paycheck is a constant barrage of needs you may usually meet ( by Gods grace)  and thousands of wants you leave unfulfilled.....

                   Paycheck to paycheck gives those you love no security and creates a constant state of uncertainty. Every financial choice made leaves hundreds unfulfilled. What you can afford, you can't afford to do well or timely.

                            Every trip or project depletes something. The emergency budget shrinks or credit card debt rises. Reminders of the level of both constantly surround you and either one exponentially raises the level of everyones stress and insecurity...

                 And sometimes in between all this, you forget to remember to breathe..

                               I have taken the classes and seminars but they all usually miss the simple fact that bills are a fact of life and if the remainder at the end of the week is zero, then zero is all that is left...

               I don't mind the financial affliction nearly as much as I mind the symptoms..

                      Watching the ones you love most seeing the best you have to offer as insufficient.

                             Having the best you have to offer being insufficient...

                                     Ouch. That one hurt,

                             Knowing you will never be better than this. This, for all intents and purposes IS the best you will ever have to offer...

           Although  I am financially richer than ninety percent of this world, i feel this way. Billions of people would beg for this paycheck to paycheck existence.  In it, I am extremely blessed.

                                 Blessed with all we truly need, but worldly insufficient...

                I try to remember the birds of the fields, but also want to be a good steward and sometimes these lines are so finely drawn that they are practically invisible.

      I don't want to struggle with money. I don't want to need the Faith that this is enough or the Discipline and authority to just say " No".

                      So that is why I would wish to be rich today...

                                      Not to have more.

                                        To have less.

                                   I do not want excess, just peace.