Let's quit our bellyaching

In recent days many of us have seen God turn life and death crises into miracles. Others in my church have witnessed life as it is for most of the world outside our land of plenty. They've been humbled by people who in comparison have next to nothing materially live with appreciation for what little they do have and joy in spite of their poverty.

God uses experiences like that to wake and shake us who have so much, yet whine about it anyway. We in the US are simply spoiled rotten. Thankfully He graces us by placing us in contact with people who have strength and courage that makes us realize how petty and shallow we can be and too often are.

I'm thinking of people like my dear friends Tom and Sandra and their daughter Cindy. She was born with spina bifida. Several times in her 26 years her condition has placed her in life and death situations. Yet I have never ever heard a complaint or whine from any of them. But let me catch a cold or strain a muscle in my back and I'm out of sorts. Like I deserve perfect health or something.

Tommy and Claire are another couple whose lives speak volumes to those of us who gripe. He's suffered for years with a debilitating back injury, numerous surgeries and more recently pancreatitis that's hospitalized him more than once. She just completed a long series of radiation treatments, having to travel over an hour each way every day for weeks and dealing with the pain those treatments cause. Now she's looking at surgery to remove a tumor the radiation didn't get, to be followed by chemo. Yet they shine with the joy of God.

God help me from whining and getting irritated when something doesn't go just quite like I want it to go. God help me from demanding You do something about my inconveniences, like when my internet connection is slower than it should be or my cable reception is snowy or some other minutia that sets my orbit out of kilter.

God help me to remember I'm not the center of the universe. So what gives any of us the right to complain one iota if He or his don't treat me like I think I deserve to be treated? In fact, that He would even pay attention to me at all should be all the grace needed to rise above the stupid little things that get my shorts in a bunch.