First World Problems

I am happy to say that this is my first, very unrelated to Crohn's Disease blog post! Writing has always been a passion that God has given to me, and I am super happy to be able to do it!

I am sure that many of you have heard this phrase before, “first world problems.” It is something that has been on my heart for weeks and weeks. It is not a new phenomenon, nor will it ever not be I believe. It is hard for me these days to sit back silently and listen to people worry about their “first world problems”. While I understand, and honestly do it as well, it is hard for me. I do understand that this is the only life we know and understand. That GLEE not coming on the night you expect it to, or the food that you ordered at a restaurant was not what you were expecting, are the things that people in America have to worry about. We don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from, or if the water we just let our child drink was clean and drinkable. God does not give us these things to worry about, and that I understand. However, doesn’t it seem a little selfish to you? Doesn’t it seem selfish that while we are sitting around wanting and “needing” more and more, there are millions of people half a world away, that are working their tails off just to get some food to their babies at the end of the night. I am not railing on anyone; I will be the first to admit that I have to daily stop myself from griping about “first world problems”. And I am not always successful. I have to remind myself when the hot heater is broken for the second time that year and I have to take a cold shower that millions of people that day did not even get the luxury of waking up in a bed that morning, let alone getting to take a shower. I have to remember when I’m sitting on the side of the road with a tire that is blown out, to stop and consider that some people walk miles and miles to go to work every day and do not have the immense blessing of having their OWN personal car to take them to and from everywhere they want to go. That when, my dear friends we are upset that our people in our lives have not picked up after themselves for the thousandth time that day (or so it seems ; )), we take the time to remember that some people do not even have things to pick up. It is an uphill battle. We need to choose instead, to try. To try and remember to thank God that the only problem we had today was that our internet didn’t work, or that our car didn’t start. We just need to try. It is a daily struggle that we cannot achieve in our own power. We must daily call upon the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will allow us to die to self and allow his grace and mercy to flow out of us. It is all about the eternal perspective.

He’s already there.