Perspective

I'm starving.
So annoyed... I had to wait 10 minutes in line at Wal Mart.
Ugh... I don't have anything to wear.
I'm bored.
I had to park so far away.  All of the front spots were taken.

You know what stinks... When God slaps you in the face with your selfish, lazy, self-centered mindset  (like slaps you hard and it stings and maybe makes you tear up a little).  But you know what's awesome... When He uses that stinging slap to wake you up out of your narcissistic stupor and opens your eyes to a more fulfilled life.  In America it is so easy to slip into this way of life because we have everything right at our fingertips and we have become spoiled.  But when I saw the joyful faces of so many people who by American standards have nothing, I was instantly convicted.  And for that I am thankful.

I have uttered the above statements more times than I can count.  But my prayer now is that the Lord would remind me in those moments of my precious friends in Africa and their joyful and content attitudes.

"I'm starving."  I have no idea.

"So annoyed... I had to wait 10 minutes in line at Wal Mart."  We had people come to the medical clinic who waited for hours without ever complaining.  Lord, teach me to be patient.

"Ugh... I don't have anything to wear."  This adorable little nugget was one of the most joyful children I have ever been around.  Does he look worried about his torn shirt?  He had on the same clothes several times and could care less.  

"I'm bored."  The children of Dihombo village were content to play games, sing songs, or just sit and be.  This is a picture of one of the pastors who joined in as we were trying (unsuccessfully) to play a game that the kids taught us.  You draw eight squares in the dirt and try to get a rock into each square without missing any of the squares.  Oh, and you can only hop on one foot.  I am sure with an extra year of practice I could have dominated this game.  We played red light/green light, follow the leader, hopscotch, limbo, and sang songs with the kids and they never complained of being bored.

"I had to park so far away.  All of the front spots were taken."  This is a picture of the pastors who showed up every day to be trained and taught by Mari Beth.  One of them walked all the way from the top of a nearby mountain each day.  

Lord, give me eyes to see the blessings that I have become so used to.  Help me not take these things for granted and show me how I can use the blessings you have given me to be a blessing to those around me and around the world.  

This video perfectly summarizes the difference between first world "problems" and third world joys.  Third World Joys