Questions, Complaints, Comments....

I’ve been eating lunch at work more frequently trying to save money and honestly just because I’m tired of eating out. Plus it’s healthier than buying burgers or fried food. Friday I was eating with our program men and our chaplains and I sat with some of our newer men in the program. We were having a good conversation and I had swatted at a fly once or twice. With the heat outside and our kitchen doors always being opened we have developed a fly/nat problem. I made the comment “man, these flies are getting on my nerves”. To which the man across from me replied “you know, I didn’t even notice the fly until you said something. Before I got into the program, flies used to live with me, so I didn’t even notice the flies.” That statement stayed with me the rest of the afternoon.

I left work and went to the Christian bookstore looking for some new tracks. I went into the restroom and the toilet paper dispenser was one of those that you really have to work at getting the toilet paper off. It doesn’t just roll like it should; you have to manually roll it with your hands because it only flips so far. I got frustrated and thought “man, these people make enough in the bookstore…you’d think they would buy a decent toilet paper roll dispenser.” Then the Lord spoke! I felt Him calm my spirit and softly remind me of the conversation I had had with the man earlier that day. I felt as though He whispered to my heart “Jessica, there are people who are living with flies whom I love.. why are you complaining about a toilet paper dispenser?”
Needless to say, I shut up real fast. I walked out of that restroom having to ask forgiveness for the fact that I was selfish and impatient to the point of complaining to the Lord about having to work to get toilet paper when there are some who are sick because they don’t have the proper hygiene supplies to be clean.

We are a blessed people. Are these blessings things that make our lives comfortable or are these blessings things that we truly need? If the Lord called us to be uncomfortable for a while…. Do we love Him enough to say “Yes Lord.”?

Isaiah 43:4 says
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.”

Walk by the Spirit…not by the flesh. Scripture says nothing about being comfortable, but everything about freedom. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17