Wisdom from Buzz Lightyear

God speaking to us through Buzz Lightyear? I guess if God could speak through a donkey, He can use a toy as well?

For months, like every other little boy in America, Dutch has been fascinated by Buzz Lightyear. Then, a few weeks ago, my parents rented Toy Story 2 (which he’d never seen) and that pushed him over the edge: Could he please get a Buzz Lightyear toy sometime?  He waited and waited and finally last week I told him that he had 2 choices: 1) He could wait for his birthday at the end of the year or 2) he could sell something that he already had and use the money to buy Buzz himself.  Following in his papa’s footsteps, Dutch decided to wheel and deal and get the toy himself.  The train table would go. We took a picture together, posted it on Craigslist together, and had it sold for $50 within a few hours. Now I knew that Buzz Lightyear was $40 new, but I also figured this was a perfect opportunity to teach Dutch about bargain shopping. So we shopped Craiglist. We found two listings: a single Buzz Lightyear toy (what Dutch had specifically asked for) for $5 or a whole LOT of Toy Story toys (which included Buzz Lightyear) for $15.  I emailed both to see if they were available.

Both emailed back within the hour and said they were. Now we had a choice. We could get the toy we’d set out for for $5 or we could get lots more stuff for $15.

Of course you know me, right? Get the deal! Get more! 1 item for $5 or 10 items for $15?  I quickly reasoned that not only was getting more a way better deal, but that also meant that the kids wouldn’t fight over Buzz. If I got way more toys they wouldn’t have to share Buzz but they could each have several toys — no fighting! This was a good deal.

I began responding to the woman with the lot of toys that we’d love to come get them. But something nagged me. Just a sense, a strange sense: Get the single toy. What? That’s so not the best deal!  More nagging, inner dialogue:

What did Dutch ask for? 

A single Buzz.

Which choice costs less?

The single Buzz.

Which will be the simplest to take care of and not cause the headache of  sorting and storing more toys?

The single Buzz.

But the LOT is a way better great deal!

Isn’t that such an American way to think? The Costco-sized bag of chocolate chips is a way better deal so I have to buy that one! Never mind the fact that the Costco-sized chocolate chips give us Costco-sized thighs.

Anyway…

I didn’t listen to reason, but went ahead and sprung for the “deal” — the lot. We then drove to the meeting spot, and it’s a long story but the whole ordeal took us close to an hour. Then when we finally met the woman she said, “Oh didn’t you get my email back? I told you that I already sold the toys.”

Dutch’s face fell.

I didn’t punch her.

Now I was on the other side of town, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, without email and no way to contact the other woman to see if the single Buzz was still available. By now I’d repented to God (you think I’m silly but I really think the Holy Spirit was prompting that inner dialogue earlier!), and Dutch and I simply decided to pray that if it was God’s will that He would let us get through traffic and provide the toy for Dutch. We prayed.

The right lane opened and my phone rang.

Jeff had saved the day by accessing my email and asking the Buzz lady to call me. And, within twenty minutes we’d met this delightful woman and for just $5 Dutch’s dream toy was in his hands. And, to my amazement, my children shared this toy happily the entire day.

My earlier erroneous reasoning hit me: One of my highest goals for my children is that they learn to share — then why would I spend extra money so that they wouldn’t have to learn this most important habit? 

Yes, this is “just” Buzz Lightyear, but isn’t this a tiny picture of life? I want simple, I want uncluttered, I want my kids to share, I want to live frugally so that we have plenty to give away. And yet that temptation is always there to get more, get “the deal.”  

Since when is spending $15 a better deal than spending $5?

We have funny logic sometimes, don’t we?

Further, when we have all that more stuff (that was such a good deal!) we have to store the stuff, clean the stuff, sort the stuff, pick up the stuff, and then someday toss out the stuff.

How is that a good deal?

The amazing thing was that after they were so good about sharing the toy that day the very next morning, a neighbor gave Heidi her own Buzz Lightyear toy, for free! What?!  We came out of the deal with $45 in our pocket, a special toy for each child, and a lesson in my heart that I will never forget.  Thank you, Father. 

The fun part is that this lesson came smack dab in the middle of house-decision time. Whether it’s $5 or $500,000 the principles are worth considering. The most important principle being: Listen to that still small voice. God always has our best in mind. 

I can’t wait to share how this applies to us. More to come … {And thanks for reading!}