I am sure some of you have heard the phrase “First
world problems”. Problems that we face here in the United States that appear
ridiculous once put into perspective (especially to someone who has been immersed
in a third world culture), things that are not important in the bigger picture.
Maybe you have even read the popular blog and laughed at the ridiculous posts
that are made, things like:
“This video I'm trying to watch online will not stop
buffering.”
“The Xtra large pizza box would not fit into the
fridge so I had to throw the leftovers away”
My most recent, personal first world problem (which
inspired this blog) was “My straw for my iced coffee has a hole in it, now I
cant drink it because it feels weird on my teeth” Really Rebekah? Anyway…
In the last few weeks my life has been filled with
‘problems’ that have caused me to really sit back and reflect on what is
important in life. Let me preface this with saying, I did not react as I should
have in quite a few of these circumstances, but I recognized it, so now it's a
matter of changing my thought process or not, oh how humbling that is to say,
or rather write, out loud. By stating that I am giving you permission to hold
me accountable…
Lets begin with the tree…oh the tree. About three
weeks ago I was pretty soundly sleeping when my roommate knocked on my door at
about midnight saying, “Rebekah, I don't know how to tell you this, but there’s
a tree on your car.” Ummmm excuse me? What do you mean there’s a tree on my
car? “There is a tree on you car, you should probably come look.” I jump out of
bed and walk to the backdoor only to find a 40 FOOT TREE lying on the top of my
car, that was now smashed like a pancake… Wow. In that moment all I could do
was laugh, and potentially use some colorful language, it was unreal, there was
a tree lying on my car, how does that even happen? 4 cars in the backyard and
it did not touch anything but mine, once I looked at the base it was evident
that the tree should have fell on our house, not my car, the second location
should have been the car next to mine, not my car. After laughing quite a bit
the reality of having to get a new car settled in, I hate car shopping, I hate
feeling like I am being taken advantage of, not to mention the time it takes…I
mean, I have work to get done, I am in the final weeks of classes, meaning-final
presentations, final exams, and all of the stress that brings. It took
everything within me to not scream “why me, why now” wow.. The day before the tree
incident was a Sunday, that Sunday Jamie preached on Abraham and Isaac, he
talked about the provision that God provided so that Abraham would not have to
sacrifice the son that he had waited so long for, moments before he was
prepared to take the life of his son God provided a ram in the bushes,
something that would be sacrificed in his place… Provision, the Lord provides.
I was reminded of this and began to look for the provision in this, what seemed
like most inconvenient frustrating thing, that I had experienced in a long
time. The tree could have fallen on our house, and if it did I’m not certain my
roommates would have lived, the tree could have fallen on my roommates car who
did not have the means to replace, it or GAP insurance (insert gap insurance
plug here, since this is the 2nd time its saved my butt) Not only
that but when I purchased my Fusion I spent more on a car than I should have. I
graduate in December and student loans will kick in, maybe this was the Lord
giving me an out for making an irrational decision a few months back, just
because I needed a car (I seem to find myself needing a car a lot). So much
provision, and here I was complaining because my 2010 FULLY LOADED PERSONAL
VEHICLE was smashed. Ya it’s frustrating, but in the bigger picture was it
really important? Did it really matter as much as I made it feel like it
mattered? I have a car….I have a house, GET OVER IT being inconvenient. The
days that followed I laughed, I cried, I got really overwhelmed and was quickly
put on my face..
“Rebekah, do
you believe I am your provider? Haven’t I always taken care of you? Is having a
car REALLY that big of a deal? Where do you find your security?”
I finally
get passed the car situation, I was able to purchase another newer vehicle and
save myself a TON of money..Provision. I thought I had moved on and could
continue with everything that needed to get done, work, school, traveling….
Within two days I walked downstairs to get ready for bed and as I got down into
the basement I stepped in a good couple of inches of water.. Seriously? Our
shower had been acting up, and our toilet was making funny noises, I contacted
the landlord over a week ago, they came by and said they could not find
anything wrong with the plumbing…Okay, they know what they are talking about
right? Apparently not, here I was with wet feet stepping in who knows what
(sick). I was exhausted, I had to get up early for exams the next day and this
was completely inconvenient. One of my
dear roommates lives in the basement and she wasn't home, I didn't want her
stuff to get ruined so I found every towel we had, started soaking up the water
and moving her belongings off of the floor…There are three bathrooms in our
house, why mine? Not that I wanted it to happen to someone else, but why mine?
I mean the tree did single me out, so now the plumbing also? Even writing this
I feel ridiculous. Something so minuscule, yes frustrating, but what does it
matter?! As I was soaking up the water that had come out of our bathroom to the
basement floor I was reminded of a moment last summer…
Saintana,
many of you may remember her as the Restavek (child slave) who lived next door
to us in Jacmel. Stacie and I and the girls we lived with built a relationship with
this precious girl, and toward the end of the summer she began to come over and
play, the first day she came over she told us that she needed to go to the
bathroom, the girls were cleaning theirs so Stacie told her that she could use
ours, she walked into the bathroom and Stacie went to leave but Saintana had
this look of confusion on her face, “what is that” was her expression. Stacie
said, go ahead its okay Saintana, and she says “la” meaning “there” as she
points at the toilet, and Stacie said yes, Saintana that's where you go to the bathroom…
This was the first time Saintana had ever seen a functioning toilet in her
eight years of life. As I am soaking up the water on the floor and remembering
Saintana I was once again put FLAT on my face…
Rebekah, you
have a toilet, you have clean water that runs through your toilet, what in the
world are you complaining about? Saintana used to have to carry water back and
forth to put in their hole in the ground to use the restroom!! Can you trust me
in the little things? Have you forgotten what I have taught you over the last
four years? What is important ,you being comfortable, or you appreciating what
I have blessed you with?
Our plumbing
was fixed within twenty-four hours..Oh how I wish I could see the bigger
picture in the times that I am frustrated to the point of screaming over,
literally, stupid things.
I don't
write this to make any of you feel bad if you have ever gotten frustrated over
events that are rightfully frustrating and inconvenient. I write this to just
ask that we all take a second to put things into perspective. I believe it is
absolutely necessary for us to be flat on our face and ask ourselves, “what is
really important” when we find ourselves bogged down with first world problems.
I could not ask for a better life at this moment. I have a family that I love
as my best friends, parents who are supportive, and encouraging, brothers who
would do anything to protect me, sister in laws who are always making sure I am
living out my God given potential, and nieces and nephews whom I love more than
words. I have a pretty amazing boyfriend, definitely a God
ordained meeting, someone who has allowed me to be vulnerable again, and
appreciates me for who the Lord has created me to be. I have some of the best
girlfriends a girl could ever want, girls who are encouraging and hold me to a
higher standard. I work with some of the most humble, God-fearing, Spirit led
people that I have ever met, a group of people who have taken Christ’s call to
care for the orphan seriously, people who have stepped out in faith and used
their resources, whether it is time, money or talents, they have given up their
own agendas to love on these kids that mean the world to me. I have 100 kids in
Haiti that I know personally, kids that know me by name and that the Lord has
allowed me to love with a love that is unexplainable. Not to mention, I have a
house, a car, a toilet, clean water, an education, I am attending school, I
have more clothes than I could wear in a month, a place where I can meet for
church and not be persecuted. I could go on forever with what I am blessed
with… sometimes it just takes a tree falling on your car or a bathroom flooding
to learn to appreciate the little things. This may sound absurd to many of you,
and I am okay with that. I was convicted and humbled numerous times in the last
few weeks and could not help but share…
My challenge
to you is to count your blessings, analyze what is really important, and I
suggest you do it before a tree falls on your car…
Continuing the
journey,
Bek
