I learned the value of the low budget getaway a number of years ago while teaching at a small private Bible college. My family lived on campus in one of the men's dormitories and I was the dorm supervisor. In addition, I taught classes practically every morning during the week in the main campus building just 2 minutes away from our home, and had an office in the same building where I spent most of my afternoons. I was on the ministerial staff of the church next door to the college and spent several evenings a week, as well as Sunday mornings there. I rarely had to even get into my car.
As you can imagine, spending this much time in one location under these circumstances was not a real good recipe for sound peace of mind, and from time to time, we would need to " go out of town" to maintain our sanity. While I will admit that my tenure there was one of the most blessed times of my life, I'm sure one would not be surprised to learn it was not one of the most lucrative times. We did not have the money to take the kind of family vacations we would have liked to have taken back then, but we learned to make the most out of what we had. Our vacations usually consisted of getting a room at a hotel for the night in one of the nearby suburbs where we could just spend time together as a family playing games, eating out and watching old movies on television.
Now before anyone thinks I am trying to create a pity party here, let me say that we hardly ever felt that we were even sacrificing during those years. God was good to us and we always felt blessed. The point I am trying to make is that it is possible to enjoy life even when you don't have a lot of money.
I heard about a young couple several years ago who were just getting by. Valentine's Day came around and he wanted to do something special, but did not have very much money to do a lot. However, being the wise man that he was, he knew he had better do something! So he invited his sweetheart out on a date to a restuarant were he could use a coupon. Good try, but not good enough. She became upset, implying that he was cheap and didn't love her enough to go "somewhere fancy" where they didn't have to use a coupon. I'm sure he felt not only defeated, but deflated.
Now I believe in being extravagant whenever possible. There is nothing I love more than showering those I care about with the best gifts I can afford. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. The Apostle Paul wrote, "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound : every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." Let us always remember that "godliness with contentment is great gain" no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.
By the way... my Valentine's Day date with my sweetheart this year cost me a total of $8.00 (that includes the tip) after the $20.00 gift certificate that was given to us at Christmas time was applied. Heather, I love you and there is no one else I would want to be with more than you. Thank you, Dear, for letting us go low budget once in a while... Dear... Dear... ? :)
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