Luke 15:11-32 tells of Jesus speaking one of my favorite parables in the entire Bible. It is the story of the Prodigal Son, who took his inheritance and left his father's house to go on his own. He soon squandered everything and ended up impoverished to the point of being willing to eat after the pigs just for food. Here's the enlightening part:
When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger. I will get up and go to my father and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight...' "
I guess it didn't take long for him to change his mind when he went from wealthy to poor. The important thing is that he recognized how he had changed. He became aware of where he was, as opposed to where he used to be. The next step was the always difficult "swallowing of pride." If you read on, you will find that his father received him back with open arms, just as God receives us - unconditionally. Honestly, I've been there. God gave me wealth and I squandered it thinking I knew what I was doing.
"...poverty has changed my view of what true riches are."
Impoverished? Yes. But with a different perspective. One that keeps me aware of the riches.
