Problem vs. Inconvenience

It's a nice summer day in Georgia. Well, a little hot, but we can't have everything. So like every normal person, I headed out to the pool with phone and 1 month old iPod touch in pocket figuring I might instagram a picture at the pool. Unfortunately, my brain had different ideas. It decided to make me forget what was in my pockets. Or maybe it was thinking "well you CAN instagram a picture at the pool.... just underwater." So..... my phone and my most monetarily valuable possession (iPod) took a bath. While I was my normal calm self on the outside, let me assure you that I was much less than calm on the inside. I was not very excited about having paid $300 for a paperweight. I quickly ran home and threw both things in a bag of rice. We'll see if it works.

But let me get to the real point of this post. As I was frantically scrambling to get my iPod and phone in a bag of rice while cursing my bad luck, I remembered the words of one of the Bert Show's (morning radio show in Atlanta) hosts, Jeff Dauler. "Is it a problem, or just an inconvenience?" Really powerful words. Let's think of all the daily things we get upset about. Did you get cut off this morning on the way to work? You probably yelled and honked at the driver. I've stubbed my toe before and had to bite my lip to keep from saying words I know I shouldn't. I lost a $20 bill recently and nearly lost my mind looking all over for it. And of course, just today, my brand new baby, my most expensive piece of personal property, my iPod touch 5th generation took a bath in the pool.

Now let's look at those scenarios. Do they/could they hurt? Of course. Less money in my wallet or a scrape on my big toe always hurts. But think about it. Will I care about $20 or an iPod when I die? Will those things get me any closer to heaven than not having them? Nope.

Now let's think about other things happening in the world. Starvation, human trafficking, and disease are just a few examples. More recently, there have been many homes destroyed, lives lost, and people injured by the tornado in Oklahoma. On a smaller scale, my dad is dealing with cancer. The grandfather of one of my good friends is on the verge of death and as far as we can tell is not on his way to heaven. Now there are some real problems. Let's put it better than I can in words....

Look at this:

and then tell me that this:

is really a problem. It's very sobering very fast. The parents of my cousin's husband lost their house completely in the tornado. Thankfully they are all ok, but I would ask you to pray for them (and everyone affected) as they figure out what to do next. I lost a few dollars. They lost a home. One is an inconvenience. One is a problem. It would do you good to learn the difference.

This is how you can have at least a small part in helping recovery efforts in Oklahoma:

http://www.redcross.org/news/press-release/Red-Cross-Statement-on-Oklahoma-Tornado

-RST