No, It's Not Just YOUR Luck...

1. No, you aren't the only person who gets stood up by family/friends for a lunch date you were really looking forward to.
2. No, you aren't the only person who has to go back to a retail store THREE times to get someone to give you a proper return on clothes that fell apart in the wash, only to have them ultimately send you away with two $5 "Customer Appreciation" cards that can't even be used in the same transaction.
3. No, you aren't the only person who invests $11,000 in a patio addition that you think will add value to your home, only to have it fall apart within a month and become a GINORMOUS headache. (Not to mention the fact that the day they started construction a torrential rainstorm came threw and our kitchen wall had to be replaced...and the fact that we had to threaten to file suit to get anyone to take us seriously about getting out here to fix this wonderful addition.)
4. No, you aren't the only person who trades in a perfectly good truck on an awesome Sequoia only to find out a month later that the car you kept (the Camry) has a burned up engine and you need to pay $2400 to fix it.

Hmmm....what else?

Well, those are just a few things that have happened in my life over the last month or so that have got me thinking. I find myself saying, "That's just my luck" as if these sort of things don't happen to other people. Sure there are some people who seem lucky and don't deal with these types of daily inconveniences, but most people do. And here is why: The world is a sucky place. It is full of sin and sinful people. It seems that no one can do their job and be honest. It seems that no one can keep their word. It seems that in order to get anyone to be fair and to keep their word, you have to be the loudest, squeakiest wheel. In regards to the patio issue, we have called and called and called this company to make good on our warranty. We walked outside two Saturdays ago to find our ceiling fan and a wooden plank dangling from the roof and that is when Matt called and mentioned that we might have to file suit to protect ourselves. (As a side note, we both believe litigation should be a LAST resort, especially among believers.) Monday morning someone was here to fix the fan. They have since been out here to talk about fixing the cracks...all of them. Funny how that works. This specific situation got me thinking how I was going to raise Avery. Do I raise her to be a squeaky wheel?

I don't believe that is the answer and I'm not sure what the balance should be. But here is what I know: we should find what is praiseworthy in this crappy world and think about such things. (Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8) We should be hopeful that this world is not our home and we have heaven to look forward to--where we won't get stood up on lunch dates, and deal with silly customer service issues, cracked patios, or busted up engines. (Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6: 19-20).

I'm well aware that in the grand scheme of things, this is all small potatoes. They pale in comparison to losing Tyndale. They are nothing compared to the friends I have that are dealing with infertility, job loss, and sickness. But I think the lesson is the same for both small disappointments and major heartache: Focus on the good, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

1. At least I have a wonderful family and great friends to go to lunch with.
2. At least I have the money to go buy clothes and washer to clean them with.
3. At least I have a house to add to and money in the bank to pay for it.
4. At least I have a reliable car to drive while the other one gets repaired.

Blessings this week to you!