Are We So Spoiled Because We’re So Blessed?

I am here for my volunteer work at Children’s Hospital and it starts out slow this morning. The radiology techs give me a sweet card of thanks and a great set of earbuds. I am blessed. I have time to read my scriptures for today and then have an “aha” moment.

In Acts 3:26, Peter was speaking about when God said to Abraham, “In your offspring, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” I begin to think “What did “blessing for his offspring” really mean to Abraham back then?" New and more well-crafted tents; stronger, faster and more trustworthy camels; more tolerable winds in the sandy deserts; wives that are more sensitive the needs of their husbands; obedient children; fruitful crops and clean water?

As I type this post in this bright, fluorescent LIGHTS reception area, using WIFI on my COMPUTER, at this state-of-the-art HOSPITAL, responding to text messages on my CELL PHONE, sitting at a clean and sterilized DESK, in a ergonomic CHAIR that I can move up because the last volunteer was a shorty, take patients back to RADIOLOGY where their fractures and broken limbs are X-RAYED. I’m drinking coffee poured from my Keurig COFFEEMAKER in my YETI MUG guaranteed for 12 hours hot or cold liquid. I’m hearing the sounds of the HD resolution TELEVISION in the waiting room. There’s a HAND SANITIZER machine near me. And, the restroom, complete with indoor, self-flushing TOILETS is just down the hall. I am smelling the mouth-watering popcorn that is popped from a huge ELECTRIC popcorn machine that, by the way, I must always take some with me as I’m leaving for home in my CAR!

Did I make my point? We are BLESSED! We take so much for granted because we missed out on having to deal with life without our modern conveniences. We are so privileged that we are spoiled. We don’t know real hardship. We aren’t being persecuted and we aren’t living in a poor country. We don’t know what it’s like to live in a country where we can’t drive to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for dinner. We don’t know what it’s like to live through the bombings in Syria. Our country isn’t in shambles!

Bottom line, my dear friends, we need to stop being so melodramatic over all the "the stuff" going on in our lives. We need to take a deep breath and express how thankful we are for the century we are living in and that God, in all His sovereignty, deemed us to be here NOW!

Back to Abraham and the blessings that God was pouring out on him. The actual definition of the word “blessed” is “made holy; consecrated; endowed with divine favor and protection. I find it encouraging that the primary definition of blessing is not wealth or comfort, but rather “being made holy”. I think that’s what Abraham and we -- have in common. In the midst of all our conveniences and privileges, may we become people of holiness as we make Dad proud of how we live out our faith in gratitude and in praise to Him. Yes, we are privileged HOLY people.


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Amping Up Our “Little” Light Wattage

Here at Children’s Hospital, it’s an early, busy morning for radiology, fractures, and casting. Kids will be kids, and getting fractured and broken bones come with the territory. We see young gymnasts and cheerleaders who take an awkward tumble, athletes who fall the wrong way, and everyday mishaps at home. I love being here and seeing “healing-in-action” by these well-trained and gifted medical team members. I spoke about Ricky, an orthopedic technician, a couple of weeks ago in one of my blogs. Today, he stops by to tell me I was on his mind at 4 a.m. this morning! (Gasp!) “Was it a nightmare?” I asked. He quickly replies: “No, I was thinking about you and your blogs and I want to share some insight I’ve gained."

Ricky goes on to tell me why he purposes to be a light to the children: “As a result of parents talking negatively about their fears and pain from injuries they suffered as children, many of the children I care for have the idea that they, too, should be afraid. I do my best, before I treat them, to take my time to help comfort them before I ever start in with their treatment. I’m also very aware that because of racial divides and prejudices “talk” in families, some children come inbred with preconceived ideas that aren’t true. What parents say, affects children’s thoughts. As a black man, I have to intentionally come across to the patients that I am a kind and caring friend so I take, sometimes, too much time, to deflect their concerns. I just want to be a light that shines brighter than their concerns.” I assure you, he does!

We go into a deeper conversation about the importance of caring, sincerely caring, about everyone we encounter. Instead of people feeling they are only a number, they sense someone cares about them enough to greet them, ask their name and say “How are you doing today?” (and really, really mean it). Mother Teresa said, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." William Shakespeare said, “Eyes are the windows to the soul”, so shouldn’t we look into the eyes of others and desire to reach into their soul (their will, their mind and emotions) to lift them from sadness, defeat, worry and stress and help reverse those emotions to joy, peace, hope and love with some kind words?

I know that I harp a lot on “Letting our little lights shine”, but I wasn’t the original harper. Jesus was. He said, “You are the light of the world, a city on a hill that should not be hidden!” What do lights do? They brighten a room. They cause darkness to flee. Even if it’s a small nightlight, we can still maneuver through an otherwise darkened room with much more freedom.

Maybe you don’t consider yourself to be a spotlight or a fluorescent light (like what is in this area that I work in here at the hospital.) Lord, have mercy! Every wrinkle, freckle, make-up flaw, spots on clothing and hairs on my head -- is magnified! But at the same time, there is no darkness to be found here. I like to think that my bright light is brighter than that bright light. We can start off as a little night light by simply smiling to those we encounter. Before long, we’ll start to amp up the wattage and our light won’t be able to contain itself. It will brighten every corner, every crevice -- every friend or foe -- with God’s bright light.