Not a fancy post
I'm not sure if i know how to say the thing that i want to say.
Sometimes, i go for long spells without writing because i don't know how to share the things that i'm learning from the experiences in my life, in a beneficial lighting. You know, in a way that doesn't come off sounding like a plea for pity.
I guess everyone probably wants a little pity sometimes, some acknowledgement that whatever they are going through really stinks, a LOT! But generally, it isn't helpful.
I also don't want to sound like i'm complaining about my life in any way. Complaining is ugly in general, and besides that, complaining compromises the process of growth, of seeing past the circumstances, into the lessons that God can teach us through them, if we let Him.
But most of the so-called troubles we go through are merely interruptions of inconvenience in our fast-paced, luxurious lives of automation.
The legitimacy of our troubles can easily be brought into perspective by the right audience to our complaints.
The man with no shoes may complain, until he sees the man with no feet.
The woman who needs new clothes for work may complain, but not to the woman who has no job that might bring to light the desire for new clothes.
The wife who has only one child and wants another, will not dare to complain to the wife who desires a child and can have none.
The man with a small home may complain, but not to the man who has no home.
Perspective. It makes a difference.
It has long been an observation of mine - something i remind myself of - that God wants the very best for us, but He is much more interested in the development of our character than He is in our physical circumstances. And He will use the latter to improve the former, at way more opportunities than our ease-seeking selves would prefer.
Nine months ago, in the midst of our re-renovation post-housefire #4, the water pump on our well stopped working, leaving our home without the benefit of running water. While we could have put our resources toward fixing repairing the well, a long time ago, we had a couple of other goals we had been saving up for and made the decision to put off the repair of our well pump until a later date.
A week ago, we got to start taking showers in our own home again. And today, i got to wash dishes with running water, in my own kitchen, for the first time in more than a year.
I'm thankful for a lot of things about this experience. I improved and practiced some limited survival skills, i learned that living without running water isn't nearly as bad as it sounds, and i learned how to wash dishes with stove heated hauled in water in plastic tubs, with fair to midlin efficiency. I also developed a die-hard daily habit of going to the gym, which i had to keep in order to get a shower before work.
But the thing i'm really happy about today, is that i feel happy about doing the dishes. My eyes of perspective are opened to realization of the privilege of hot running water and a drain that leads out of the house. There is a rumor that i might even have a working dishwasher by the end of the day, and that just sounds like crazy talk. I haven't used a dishwasher in at least half a decade. It sounds very exciting.
But that's not really my point. My point is that all of us, everyone, everywhere, is always going through something. Through something in this world, something of our circumstances, we are given the opportunity to have our character, our perspective, improved. The better we use them, the better for everyone. The less time we spend in self-pity and comparison, the better, too.
Sometimes, i go for long spells without writing because i don't know how to share the things that i'm learning from the experiences in my life, in a beneficial lighting. You know, in a way that doesn't come off sounding like a plea for pity.
I guess everyone probably wants a little pity sometimes, some acknowledgement that whatever they are going through really stinks, a LOT! But generally, it isn't helpful.
I also don't want to sound like i'm complaining about my life in any way. Complaining is ugly in general, and besides that, complaining compromises the process of growth, of seeing past the circumstances, into the lessons that God can teach us through them, if we let Him.
But most of the so-called troubles we go through are merely interruptions of inconvenience in our fast-paced, luxurious lives of automation.
The legitimacy of our troubles can easily be brought into perspective by the right audience to our complaints.
The man with no shoes may complain, until he sees the man with no feet.
The woman who needs new clothes for work may complain, but not to the woman who has no job that might bring to light the desire for new clothes.
The wife who has only one child and wants another, will not dare to complain to the wife who desires a child and can have none.
The man with a small home may complain, but not to the man who has no home.
Perspective. It makes a difference.
It has long been an observation of mine - something i remind myself of - that God wants the very best for us, but He is much more interested in the development of our character than He is in our physical circumstances. And He will use the latter to improve the former, at way more opportunities than our ease-seeking selves would prefer.
Nine months ago, in the midst of our re-renovation post-housefire #4, the water pump on our well stopped working, leaving our home without the benefit of running water. While we could have put our resources toward fixing repairing the well, a long time ago, we had a couple of other goals we had been saving up for and made the decision to put off the repair of our well pump until a later date.
A week ago, we got to start taking showers in our own home again. And today, i got to wash dishes with running water, in my own kitchen, for the first time in more than a year.
I'm thankful for a lot of things about this experience. I improved and practiced some limited survival skills, i learned that living without running water isn't nearly as bad as it sounds, and i learned how to wash dishes with stove heated hauled in water in plastic tubs, with fair to midlin efficiency. I also developed a die-hard daily habit of going to the gym, which i had to keep in order to get a shower before work.
But the thing i'm really happy about today, is that i feel happy about doing the dishes. My eyes of perspective are opened to realization of the privilege of hot running water and a drain that leads out of the house. There is a rumor that i might even have a working dishwasher by the end of the day, and that just sounds like crazy talk. I haven't used a dishwasher in at least half a decade. It sounds very exciting.
But that's not really my point. My point is that all of us, everyone, everywhere, is always going through something. Through something in this world, something of our circumstances, we are given the opportunity to have our character, our perspective, improved. The better we use them, the better for everyone. The less time we spend in self-pity and comparison, the better, too.
I love this so much. And I love that while I was complaining about not having a washing machine, you were quietly reading along with no running water at all! Crazy. Did you have working toilets?
ReplyDeleteHa. :) we had giant jugs of water in the bathroom for filling the back of the toilet.
DeleteYes!!! Living on both sides of the fence does help perspective.
ReplyDeletePerspective is an often overlooked thing (if you can call it a thing). Nice post, and congrats on the water. As for the dishwasher, I have mixed thoughts on that one. My kitchen stayed much more organized before my three dishwashers (aka three kids who washed, dried, and put away) become one ACTUAL dishwasher. Now it seems as if nothing is ever in its place.
ReplyDelete