My wife and I recently spent a few days in Down East Maine, enjoying the scenic rocky beaches and the brisk sea air. It was our third visit, and each time back we’ve stayed a little closer to the ocean.
After checking into a small boutique hotel steps from downtown Bar Harbor, we strolled along the Shore Path, taking in great views of Frenchman’s Bay and the Porcupine islands.
There are also historic homes and buildings along the way. One of these is a hotel, just off the beach, with tables outside under yellow umbrellas. It has an infinity pool and twin hot tubs overlooking the bay, and almost every room has an ocean view.
At the same time, we both said out loud, “We should have stayed here!” I looked it up; the rate was half again more than our already pricey non-ocean-view hotel. For a moment, we wallowed in covetousness and envy. We wanted to be the folks soaking in the jacuzzi with a postcard-worthy view of the ocean, but the price was too steep.
Cutting through the parking lot, on our way back to our hotel, I pointed out an Audi, and a Mercedes, and a Range Rover SUV. Then, a lady came out of the spa wearing a fancy white bathrobe, sporting the hotel logo.
“Would staying here, and driving one of those, and being pampered in there (my wife gestured toward the spa) truly make us happier?” I had to admit, the answer was no.
Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.
Jesus- Luke 12:15 (NIV)
The next morning, the Lord reminded me of the deceptiveness of what’s called the Hedonic Treadmill; the more you get the more you want, it’s a circle with no end in sight.
As I read the verse above, and others along the same lines, the message from the Holy Spirit was clear: external things cannot bring lasting happiness and peace. No matter how much there is, my “stuff” will never be enough.
God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.
C.S. Lewis
Kind reader, our brush with “enough” was a wakeup call about what really matters. Can you relate? It also had me looking for a quote I remembered from one of my favorite poets.
Anything that is more than our necessity is poison.
Rumi
Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️ prayers and love.
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 (NIV)
The Stigma Stops Here. 🛑
#mentalhealthmatters
*The picture above is an AI generated example, but is close to the view we saw–minus the infinity pool.
Davids Daily Dose 
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