I just got back from spending my Spring Break in San Diego, California with Bethel’s track team. It was a wonderful week! This was my first time traveling since I decided to do World Race and as I sat on the plane ride headed there and back I found myself constantly imagining what it will be like in a few short months to be on a plane on my way to Uganda, the first country on our route.
For just one week in San Diego I packed most likely triple the amount of clothes I’ll be able to pack for the entire 11 months! Wow..that’s going to be a challenge. Even though I may have had triple the amount, I promise I actually packed light compared to a lot of the team. That’s where the issue comes in…I am comparing. I may have packed light, but instead of being content with a smaller bag and less to carry, I found myself comparing what I had to others on my team. I would look around at my teammates and think “gosh I wish I had one more running tank top” or “I should have packed that” or “why didn’t I bring cuter clothes”. I realized quickly that I was stuck in a comparison mode rather than simply enjoying what I had brought with me and this wonderful place I get to visit. Why do I do this?
If I have triple the amount now and I am comparing with other people…what will 11 months with just a backpack look like for me? If I don’t switch my mindset and attitude I am going to spend the entire time abroad wishing I had packed a larger pillow or another pair of pants rather than being happy that I have a nice sleeping bag and my favorite pair of sandals.
How do I get out of this mindset of comparison and transition into a mindset of being grateful for what I have? Why don’t we just appreciate all that we have been given? I am sure I am not the only one looks around at what others have…so how do I stop doing it myself and encourage others to do the same. All of this makes me think of when someone has straight hair and wishes they had curly hair like a friend has and vice versa. Poor example, but you get the point. I’m sure you have all felt this way at some point? Why do we think like this when we have so much and we are so blessed?
I can’t imagine sitting in a remote village in Ethiopia and thinking “gosh I wish I had one more pair of shoes” while a kid I met just an hour ago had no shoes, and yet if I am not careful these could/will be my thoughts.
In Luke 12:15 Jesus says, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (NIV)
As I am leading into World Race there are certain things I want to work on in advance and this is one of them. I want to become a person who is less aware of the “things” or possessions that I have and others have. I want to focus on the people I am with and the place I am at without being in a mindset of comparison.
