The monastic ideal of poverty, which eschews individual ownership of anything, can point us in the right direction even in the midst of our surfeited culture. When the fear of not having enough in the future or that feeling of needing "just a little bit more" recedes, it becomes possible to savor the comfort of sufficiency in the present. When we are sure that there is plenty, more than enough for everyone, we can afford to be generous. Since all is gift, we can enjoy God's abundance even as we own nothing. Gracious acceptance of plenty is a challenge, calling forth in us both gratitude and humility, and our first step might be a simple "thank you."
— Margaret Guenther, At Home in the World