The Tooth Fairy Economy

Monday at noon I happened to be in my automobile going home for lunch. In my automobile I’m always listening to the radio, never music, always talk. I was listening to a financial network.

I’ve really forgotten what the subject was, it obviously wasn’t very important,. But, what was said at the end of that segment caught my attention.

The host stated that the value of the tooth fairy economy is $255 million in America. The average amount given for a tooth is $4.36.

Almost every adult knows exactly what I was thinking at that moment.

My first tooth netted me a nickel. Four years later my little brother received a dime for his.

I’ve always thought my parents thought more of him than me.

What does this little bit of insignificant trivia tell us about ourselves?

First, it tells us we are wealthy people. If $255 million is put into circulation over a child’s tooth, we certainly have a lot of money.

Second, it tells us that we spend our money in rather insignificant ways. Remember, more money goes into our pet’s care than into missions around the world.

Third, it shows us we know a lot of things without knowing the most important things. Do we really know what makes a nation great? Do we know what makes a family strong and secure? Do we know what makes our lives meaningful and significant?

And finally, the most important question of all, do we know the God who created us and called us to be his own dear children?

Hosea the Prophet said: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). He noted they lacked faithfulness and kindness and knowledge of God. Because they had no knowledge of God, they did have “swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds and murder follows murder” (Hosea 4:1-2).

May we be a people who seek to know God and the things that make life really meaningful.

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