My friend Danielle posted this video earlier this week and I have thought back to it several times since. (The term 'first world' problems is in stark contrast to the problems of people in 'third world' countries.)
It can be so easy to get tied up in knots over 'problems' that are very, very small in the grand scheme of things. Just today I confess mine have ranged from:
"I spilled my Starbucks coffee on my shirt."
"It rained and ruined our plan to go to the pool."
"I have to return the new plates I bought because they are too wide to fit in my shallow kitchen cabinets."
"My downstairs AC is acting up and I keep having to walk all the way to the basement to reset it."
Silly, shallow, insignificant first world problems.
I cringe as I type. This is not the person I want to be. It is most definitely not the way I want my children to grow up to think, feel and behave. Much of the reason we value reading, travel and supporting foreign missions is so we can all clearly know how the world looks outside our bubble. Yet, the comfort and safety of my bubble can be so all-encompassing that I don't even realize it.
The word entitlement makes my skin crawl...and yet, I am guilty.
I really appreciate when comedy/parody makes me wince just a little...such a kinder, gentler way to get a point across. Perspective is a good thing.
2 comments:
Wow, this one hits home with me. I absolutely love your blog. It is one of the first ones I look to when I sit down to catch up on my reading. I have wanted to right and introduce myself for some time now. I have been reading your blog for at least 3 years. God definitely uses you to open my eyes to so many things. I promise to send that email soon and introduce myself. Thanks for sharing your gifts with us.
Love this! Just this morning as I was driving around I heard a commercial on the radio that was encouraging people to call their congressman! make your voice heard! don't let them get away with this! It was an ad produced by the National Broadcaster's Association and they were regaling us with "devastating" scenarios like losing our HDTV! Or our free local TV stations! Or being unable to have the full range of programming we're accustomed to! It was pretty appalling...when it ended I actually said out loud (to no one) that this is only a commercial you would hear in the very affluent First World. They made it sound like losing our HDTV would be the end of our world as we know it (cue REM). The sad thing is, that while the video above was something of a parody, this commercial wasn't at all.
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