Screwtape Comes A-Calling

And so it begins. Three days into the New Year and my resoluteness was already put to the test.

The past few months, I've been going through my stuff, giving away redundancy and unnecessities, fighting the good fight against the quick and easy sin of materialism. My resolution this year is to sacrifice by not buying new clothes just because I want new clothes.

Then yesterday, I was at the thrift store, looking for used plates, when I saw, almost hidden under a bunch of shoes, a pair of light brown Uggs.

I'm not usually into name brands, but I know that $8 for a pair of fuzzy boots is a good price. And I know that $8 for a pair of quality, warm, Australian boots is a GREAT price.

So I bought them, as a gift to my sister-in-law, I told myself, because her old pair had worn through and been recycled into a hamster's snuggly cave. We drove straight from the store to her house, knocked on her door, and... no answer.

And so we went home, and I brought the boots into the house, then, out of curiosity, put them on. I admired myself in the mirror, wore the boots around the house as I did my chores, and I thought, "These are nice boots! I could use a newer pair. They're not exactly like my old pair. And they're Uggs!" And the best part was, my sister-in-law didn't even know the boots existed!

Where did these thoughts come from?!??! (don't answer that, it's a rhetorical question) All of a sudden, I felt like a character in The Screwtape Letters (by C.S. Lewis). The enemy had snuck past my blockades and attacked me at my weakest point! I know I'm sounding overly dramatic but the battle inside me was very real. Back and forth... back and forth... I took the boots off, then put them on again, then put them aside, just to go back and look at them again.

Long story short, I, not Screwtape, was the victor in the end. I told myself that I didn't need the boots, end of argument. A few minute later, the phone rang, and it was my sister-in-law, and I told her about my find, and that the boots were hers to keep. She kindly tried to convince me to keep them for myself, but I refused because she needed them more than me.

Yes, the battle was over. Love for my sister-in-law won out. It's a small step, but a step in the right direction.

And whenever I see her wear those boots, I will not envy her. Instead, I will remember that the battle is done, but the war continues. Screwtape will come a-calling again, I know.