Summer of Excess

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:5 (NIV)

Despite my goal of being more moderate, even frugal in my lifestyle, the last few weeks have been more about indulgence than sacrifice. Take ice cream for example. While youngest son is gone for the summer, we could have ice cream in the freezer that lasts longer than one day. Until I discovered a “limited edition” flavor of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream called, “Fair Goodness Cake.” It is the best ice cream I have ever eaten. Made of chocolate with chunks of chocolate cake that are the texture of brownies and ribbons of coconut cream and caramel, it combines every one of my favorite flavors. Thankfully, it comes in those little containers because one spoonful and I lose all will power consuming half a carton or more in one sitting. All my fussing at youngest son over the way he inhales ice cream flies out with window when there is a carton of “Fair Goodness Cake” in my shopping cart. Even with movies, I overindulged watching ten years worth of Harry Potter films in one week. I rarely go to the movies and had not seen more than the first one or two of the series. I obsessed over watching them all before going to see the grand finale. I’m the kind of person who waits to watch football until the Super Bowl or only catches baseball in time for the World Series. I had a lot of catching up to do. Though it required me to view three movies in one day, something I have never done in my life, I am now ready to view Deathly Hallows Part II should I decide to invest my life savings into movie tickets. Instead, I am reading. Today, I went to the library for a book. I cut myself off from ordering Kindle books because I was spending so much money. Now, I read the free sample chapter of a novel on my Kindle and then, if I think I will like it, check the book out of the library. I went for one book and borrowed ten! All due back in three weeks! When will I have time to read three and a third books a week in less than a month? See the kind of schizophrenic person I am? I’m all about eating less and then, consume an entire carton of ice cream. I cut back on spending money, but invest my time in movies and novels. None of those things are wrong in themselves, but it is the excess that I struggle with. I watch nine hours of film and only spend a few minutes in prayer. I lose myself in a book and ignore my husband. When will I ever learn balance? There are so many good things in this life, some exciting, some delicious, but I must learn to focus on what is best, not simply what is good. Because in seeking the best, I will find balance and curb my tendency towards excess.