We spent what?

By Michelle G.


I was SHOCKED to read in the news this week that Americans just spent $6 billion on Halloween - decorations, candy, costumes!  Roughly $2.27 billion of that was just candy alone - ohhhh the cavities!

Now I have no intention of debating with anyone the merits (or lack) of Halloween - there are plenty of people writing this or that about Halloween.  No matter what you think of this  holiday, it was the amount of money Americans spent on it that shocked me!  Over $2.27 billion on candy alone?  Add costumes and decorations and we spent an estimated $6 billion!  This got me thinking...

What if instead of spending $2.27 billion on candy we had given just 10% of that money to missions in the 10/40 Window?  Or better yet, what if we had given 20% or even 50% of what we spent last week on candy to reach those who have never even heard the name of Christ?

It isn't that I don't like candy.  3Musketeers are my favorite, so are Twix, Twizzler, Pretzel M&Ms.  Ok so I like candy a lot but we could all get by with half the amount of candy we bought this past week.  Other than the lack of a stomach ache, we probably wouldn't even notice.

And what if we didn't buy  new costumes from the stores each year but shared with our friends those we already own, purchased costumes from consignment shops or used items already in our homes to make something just as cute?  What if we didn't buy any new decorations for just one year?  What if instead, we took what we would spend on costumes and decorations and we used that money to support a missionary going to a unreached people group in North Africa?

Just a thought, just asking "what if...?"