First World Pains

Have you all read First World Pains? It’s on twitter and of course my husband got me hooked on it. It’s super funny/ironic things that people put on there and attach #firstworldpains to their comment (in case you aren’t familiar with the twitter world).

So often they make me laugh and yet at the same time it’s so convicting. Here are a few examples:

• I got out too much food and now I have to put some away #firstworldpains
• I wish I had a white iPhone, so it would match my white MacBook and Magic Mouse #firstworldpains
• It’s hot in my room but I don’t wanna turn the air conditioner up cause I’ll be cold in the morning #firstworldpains
• I accidentally opened Internet Explorer and had to wait for it to finish opening before I could close it. #firstworldpains
• Didn’t go to class today because I didn’t have hot water to shower in. #firstworldpains
• The power went out, so I had to wait a while for my cable box guide to update. #firstworldpains
• I just went thru the drive-thru for some fries and they are too hot to eat! #firstworldpains

These are real examples, I laugh and then think how lame these people are. But do you want to hear some of mine? These things I have uttered in the last week.

• What am I supposed to eat when I can’t have dairy?! I’m starving! #firstworldpains
• Having a house with one bathroom is not even up for discussion. #firstworldpains
• My kids have so many toys and I’m tired of picking them up. #firstworldpains

It’s all a matter of perspective really and my oh my how I can get caught up in my own life, wants/desires and really just plain selfishness. I’ve been to Africa and have seen with my own two eyes what it’s like to live in a third world country; and yet I complain about my first world pains daily.

When we lived in Bozeman we had a condo built. It wasn’t my dream house but it was so nice; upgraded everything (including 2 1/2 baths). Then we sold that and had a bigger condo built, it only shared one wall with the neighbors, was much bigger, had a giant yard, all the upgrades and of course 2 1/2 baths. Still not my dream home. After all isn’t the American Dream home your own four walls, at least 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a great yard and a white picket fence? It was my picture of the dream house. I was always striving for more and comparing to what others around us had.

So last week when this cute yellow house, not far from where we live now came on the market and our landlady had just released us from the lease since she’s trying to sell the house we’re in, we had to look. It seemed like the perfect fit in many ways. And as it turns out, we’re in the process of buying it. It’s crazy fast and seems like a miracle really. But here’s the thing. At first it wasn’t good enough for me; it has ONE bathroom! One bathroom! Can I survive? There is an unfinished basement and we plan on finishing it, yes with another bathroom; but once again I had to do a heart check. I am not entitled to a house with three bathrooms, granite countertops or hard wood floor. Sure I love those things but it doesn’t make a house a home. As I sat and complained while my family was here this weekend (about that ONE bathroom) I was reflecting on what a jerk I must have sounded like to my grandma. She’s lived with one bathroom all her life and raised three kids in that house. She started out with much, much less before that house too. I’ve become so accustomed to the “American Dream” (aka- entitlement) that I lose sight of what God has for me. Is that His dream for me? Nope it’s not, but I assure you His dream and plan is far better. So if I move into that cute yellow house I’m going to love that one bathroom. So much for my #firstworldpains.

**If you have a house with all those great things this post is not to make you feel bad or guilty!