The love of money

Today I was talking with Rosie about the adoption process and we were looking at the other children waiting for families and I began thinking of the verse that tells us money is the root of all evil....As I began to think if money was no object her 2 friends from her orphanage who are about to age out of the system and never experience a family choosing them I would gladly set up 2 more beds and set up 2 more plates for dinner.  Sadly though...its money.. the cost of adoption...the cost of travel...the cost of food and clothes and all children entail...

Money keeps children orphaned
Money enslaves the poor
Money keeps the homeless on the street
Money traffics the innocent
Money separates the have and have nots
Money starves the hungry
Money tears apart families
Money tells us we can't
Money keeps us from following our passion
Money makes us doubt our Savior

I should not blame the physical currency, as Jesus directs, its the love of money.  We love what money can give us and so we want more and want bigger and faster and easier and we fail (myself included) to count the cost.  How often do we not realize that our lifestyle is supporting slavery, child labor, trafficking?  How often are we dissatisfied with the amazing life we are given because we see and we can not have or we can not afford to do?  How often do we struggle or stress doing things to just pay the bills?  We have enslaved ourselves to money.  Do we really need more?  Does it have to be nicer, faster, more fun?  Children will never know the love of a parent, an ill man or woman will not have a place to sleep tonight, a person will labor in a field or factory and be paid so little they can not eat  and for what....so that we can enjoy the pleasures of the world.  We are not storing up things in heaven when we can sleep peacefully knowing these things are occurring and yet still feel as though I do not have enough.  I write this mostly out of my own realization that I had let my heart close for a season, I didn't think about those faces or those things.  I have been stressing over money, possessions, activities and I am thankful today that God has reawakened my heart to the truth.  The more we add to our lives the more we separate ourselves from the one thing that brings true peace and joy.