A Problem of Luxury

In my family we have a saying. The saying initiated as I was musing about the types of problems we often deal with. When you start comparing the lifestyle the majority of us in the U.S. are blessed with compared with the poverty, hunger, sickness, and strife experienced by the vast majority of people around the world the contrast is as stark as night and day.

What we often say when we experience something of a problem or setback is "well that's just a problem of luxury". For example the garage door is having problems right now but instead of complaining --- if I am in my right mind I must step back and say "how unbelievably blessed we are to have a house!" Or, if I spill something on my new shirt how humbled and almost embarrased I should be to be frustrated when I have 20 other shirts... this is just so sobering...

This perspective is something I think the Lord is teaching us as a family and the lesson is painful. When I see children in Africa without food and dying --what a blindness and horror it would be complain in our world of 3 meals a day. The restaurant service is slow and I have found myself irritated. The driver in front of me is slow and I complain. How blessed to have a meal how rich to have a personal vehicle?

I am speaking of my own heart's lesson- this is my transformation, not a sermon and no matter how much this lesson wounds me it's a lesson I pray God never stops teaching me.

If I let this thinking work on me and in me long enough I will have two unavoidable changes happen in me and my family: first, every trial and issue will be a reminder to stop and give thanks to God with a heart of amazement. And, it will confront us with multitudes of reminders every day of how we must not be selfish but we must allow God to share our bread with the hungry- and his bread, his Son Jesus Christ, with the world,

God forgive me for my selfish, blind-hearted, me-focused, and pitful ways.