When courage? When peace?

[Lou_F]

I have been having a tough time discerning “when” and “where” to grow in peace and when & where to grow in courage. I see many households taking on new interior & exterior home projects, both to get more use out of their home or in other cases, to simply fulfill their wants. Personally, I only take on the necessities, exteriorly, to prevent my home from damage and to look good, never spending a lot to make our home look better than the Jones’. Interiorly our home is really outdated, but in good shape. The wallpaper is peeling (a little) in some rooms. And though the paint on our walls and ceiling is not peeling, a fresh coat would hide some of the stains.
My wife is content with the way our home is, and seeing how so many people are always rushing and spending, we rather have more time for family and more $ for donations. Though we don’t want to get to caught up in “things”, another reason I don’t take on new projects is because I lack courage to do things I’m not very good at. Should I muster up my courage to do these things I’m afraid I may not do well, or should I use it elsewhere? I admire the efforts I see on home improvements among family and friends. Where, how and when can I use courage, the courage that brings peace? My pride bothers me that I’m not working as hard as others.

 

[FightingFat]

I think its nice to take pride in your home, and, even if you are unable or unwilling to spend very much, a lick of paint works wonders. Just don’t take on more than you know you can complete, and don’t start something else until you’ve finished what you’ve first started!

 

[CatholicSam]

If it boils down to donating money to someone who has nothing to eat versus spending that money to improve your home that you and your wife are content with, I think you know the answer Of course you want to be a good steward of your house and keep it well maintained so that it doesn’t end up costing even more money in the long run to repair. But in the long run there may be someone whose life will be saved thanks to your donation just because you put up with a little bit of peeling wallpaper for a few extra months. Not to mention that you will have more time to prepare your soul for Christmas.