Looking to buy when you already have what you need
Yesterday I went shopping. About a month ago I got a new mobile phone. It was an ill considered purchase. It's a great phone actually, but I wasn't paying attention and the guy sold me a dual band phone. What that means is that I can use the phone in Thailand, most of SE Asia, Europe and a smattering of other countries. I go to the other country, buy a local pay as you go SIM card and I'm golden. The problem is that for 3 or 4 weeks every year I am in the US. And the US uses a different band. For about 200 baht ($6 US) more, I could have gotten a Tri Band phone which would have me covered.
Anyway - Thailand has a big second hand phone market. I figured it was cheaper to just buy another phone that's Tri Band for my travels. So I go down to the used phone mega mall MBK and I'm looking for the cheapest Tri Band phone around. The guy runs me over to a buddy of his who has this massive stash of used phones. He digs around and ... [drum beat please] ... produces my old phone! The good news is I didn't have to spend the 1000 baht ($30 US) asking price because I already owned it. It was sitting in a drawer collecting dust at home.
I think we do that a lot with more important stuff in life. How many of us browse the bookstore for books that will tell us how to live while the Bible sits on the shelf collecting dust? How many of us jump on the latest fad looking for something that will give meaning to our lives while Jesus sits in our past wondering where we've gone?
Don't go shopping for stuff you already have.
Anyway - Thailand has a big second hand phone market. I figured it was cheaper to just buy another phone that's Tri Band for my travels. So I go down to the used phone mega mall MBK and I'm looking for the cheapest Tri Band phone around. The guy runs me over to a buddy of his who has this massive stash of used phones. He digs around and ... [drum beat please] ... produces my old phone! The good news is I didn't have to spend the 1000 baht ($30 US) asking price because I already owned it. It was sitting in a drawer collecting dust at home.
I think we do that a lot with more important stuff in life. How many of us browse the bookstore for books that will tell us how to live while the Bible sits on the shelf collecting dust? How many of us jump on the latest fad looking for something that will give meaning to our lives while Jesus sits in our past wondering where we've gone?
Don't go shopping for stuff you already have.
