how would God spend $20?

Hello, reader.  How are you doing?  I put a twenty dollar bill on my altar in front of an image of my dearest deity impulsively.  It seemed to belong.  Then I left it there for a month maybe.  Then last night Ming helped me clean my altar, and it felt right to remove some items.  Now I got this holy money and I’m wondering–how would God spend $20?

We don’t think of God as spending money, right?  She’s busy doing important God things.

important God things

• flowing in rivers
• jumping as fish
• hatching spider eggs
• blowing through trees as the wind
• twinkling as stars
• giving parents the strength to birth their babies
• hunger
• error
• pushing up out of the ground as the plants we eat
• animating our conversations and sexual encounters
• helping kids jump on trampolines
• giving Rabbis the thoughts to keep arguing with each other
• helping Ming wash one more dish
• appearing to me on the reclaimed product packaging cardstock as I make art
• blooming as the rose

All the work of life.  God doesn’t need money because she doesn’t need to buy anything.  She already has everything, because she is everything.

Just like me.  The world is my library, and I have everything.  I’m happy to share it with you.

This poem is kind of about that.

Long ago when I was a kid I heard the idea “I have the world’s largest seashell collection–I keep it on all the beaches of the planet.  Perhaps you’ve seen it.”  This idea makes me very rich.  I’m on social security and have an income far below the poverty line, but probably I’m richer than you, dear reader.

Well, that’s my theology anyway.  Your theology may vary, which is why I’m asking how would God spend $20.

candy

No, God does not need candy.  That’s my go to thought for some reason.  There’s candy in the “God riding her bike to the gas station” kid sense.  But there’s fancy chocolates too.  Neither candy style is necessary for God.

food for a hungry person

A meal at a restaurant can be $20 these days, especially with tip and a beverage.  The ginger lemonade is very delicious.  So maybe God would spend the $20 on a meal for someone hungry?

charity

Twenty dollars to a charity organization is the tiniest drop in a bucket.  Most charities have a lot of overhead.  Feels wasteful to give this holy money to a charity.

my friend

I thought of giving the $20 bill to my dearest friend to see what they would buy.  But that would just pass along the question.  I could ask them if they have an idea.

something for the altar

Yes, if I needed a bell or Palo Santo, I could spend the money on that.  But I don’t need a bell, and I have enough Palo Santo.  There’s gotta be an idea I’m missing.

a present for Ming

Maybe I should buy Ming some fancy thing that would make them happy that they would find frivolous or wouldn’t think to buy for themself.  Bringing joy to my lover is fun, and I know them very well, so I might be able to think of the best present.

something I really want and haven’t been allowing myself

Likewise it could be a present for myself.  But the things I want are mostly free: hugs, health, to feel safe, safety for my loved ones.  They’re priceless and free at the same time.  They cost nothing and everything.

no answer

Well, I have reached the end of my writing energy and have no answer to the question of how would God spend $20.  I can ask God to send me the answer in a dream tonight.  Please comment if you can think of what I’m missing.  Thank you.