Gettin' on my soapbox



Japan after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami



I woke up this morning wanting to be grumpy and in a bad mood becuase it's cold out again. After last week's beautiful spring temperatures, it was no chore to be depressed and moody about the swing back into winter.

Then God must have smacked me upside the head and told me to get over myself. I realized that I should be thankful that I woke up this morning and that it was just cold. There had been no earthquakes to destroy my home during the night, no tsunamis to tear down and flood what hadn't been completely destroyed by earthquakes. There's no potential nuclear meltdown going on in my back yard. There were no tornadoes that swept through to destroy my home, no hurricanes to wash away parts of cities, no volcanic eruptions, no landslides/mudslides, floods, plagues...it was just cold. Meanwhile, Japan experienced two more earthquakes, still considered aftershocks, last night, and conditions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant continue to deteriorate.

It struck me just how greedy we as a human population tend to be, especially those of us living comfortably in our developed countries and cultures. We complain to no end because the spring weather went away while people on the other side of the world are probably waking in thanks and praise every morning that no more disaster has hit them yet. We go to expensive restaurants and complain because the food was overcooked or undercooked, the meat was tough, it was too chewy, there wasn't enough salt, it was too salty, there wasn't much flavor, it was too hot, it was cold, the vegetables weren't fresh, the bread was stale, the drink was watered down, the coke was flat, and I could just keep going with this list of things which, when you put it into perspective, are completely absurd to complain about. How many people would not fall on their faces in thanks to have the money with which to pay for a dinner like that, a dinner which they would savor every bite of, a dinner which you are eating alone and they would very willingly share with an entire family. We have the resources to get to the restaurant, the opportunity to ENJOY that kind of dinner, the finances to pay for it (or at least the illusion that credit gives us of being able to pay for it). So many people have none of this. Yet we look for every small thing possible to whine about instead of just being grateful for what we are blessed with.

You can apply this to practically every area of life if you stop to think about it. We, as a people, are so selfish! And this sounds like an angry rant, and the truth is that I did get somewhat angry upon thinking about these things because I realized that I'm just as greedy as everyone else. I never would have classified myself as a greedy person, but then I actually stopped to think about it. My most selfish of behaviors of late deals with relationships. I have been down and depressed because one individual has treated me in a way that I consider undeserved and unjust. I've been carrying on in this manner for a couple of weeks. What I have failed to realize is that I'm surrounded by people who do care, who are concerned for my well being, who are always supportive, who don't judge me when I fail but who aren't afraid to be bluntly honest with me when they need to be, who have put forth a completely voluntary effort to point out the positive in this situation. They try their hardest to lift me up, show me my worth, make me smile, and I continue with my Debbie Downer attitude, saying "Yeah, but..." "That's true, but..." "I believe that, but..." And the truth of the matter is that I do deserve to be ignored like I've been ignored. I am deserving of the bad treatment. Maybe not from the person who is dishing it out, but so many times, in carrying out relationships/friendships, I do exactly the same thing to the One who cares about me the most. God tries to bless my life through these people that He puts in it, and I turn around, ignore the rules He has set for proper conduct in these relationships/friendships, put these people in front of Him, and then I am crushed when He takes them away or when they decide to turn around and treat me as I have just treated my Father.

Realizing all of this very quickly changed my mindset for the day. It was a very humbling but very necessary blow. It actually reminded me of Francesca Battistelli's new song "This is The Stuff":

I lost my keys in the great unknown
And call me, please, 'cause I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

45 in a 35
Sirens and fines while I'm running behind

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

To break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the world

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff
Someone save me
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
And I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

I have to admit that I have classified this song as being a bit childish, but it actually sounds like most of the adults that I know, myslef included. Hmmm...something to consider.

Yeah, it's cold outside, but my home is still in tact, there have been no natural disasters, and I'm sitting comfy in a great job. Yeah, occassionally people mistreat me, but I'm surrounded by so many more people who care, who lift me up, who pray for me even when I don't ask, who genuinely love me and have my best interest at heart. Yeah, sometimes my dinner is cold or not cooked to my liking, but I have food and the finances to buy more food than I could ever possibly eat. God has blessed me with more that I might give it to those who have less. So, yeah, it's cold outside, but I'll take it. I'll even send up a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for it. Why? Because it's just cold.

"In the middle of my LITTLE mess, I forget how BIG I'm blessed."