If there is one phrase that gets said in my home that gets under my skin more than anything it would be: IT’S NOT FAIR.
In fact, just this morning those words rolled off my four-year old’s tongue once again. HopeAnn has had a great week at school and yesterday after school she excitedly told each of us that her class’s reward is an ice-cream party. She is thrilled! And we are thrilled for her. {smile}
But of all the things that happened yesterday….going to pre-school, playing with her friends, the girls getting straight A’s on their report cards, finishing homework up, playing a game with daddy, reading their devotion and snuggling in bed…the Kennyboo decided that would be the one thing she would remember above all:
HopeAnn + Icecream = NOT FAIR.
Now granted that not much is fair in the world of a four year old, I mean, I know that. {wink} But I couldn’t help but laugh silently as I heard Kennedy reminding HopeAnn this morning that today, today, today was her ice-cream party. I’m pretty sure she needed no reminding.
But at the end of her seemingly sweet reminder she threw in those chalkboard screeching words to my ears: It’s. Not. Fair!
However aggravated my spirit got that the Kennyboo was once again stealing the joy from Hope’s ice-cream party I had to stop and reflect because I too have stood in the “It’s not fair” territory. As I’m sure many of you have as well.
Because here’s what we as grown up girly’s do…..”Oh I’m so happy for you!”….five minutes later, in our car we are crying tears of; it’s not fair. The neighbor next door spends less time weeding, tending and taking care of their flower bed than you do and yet they win: Yard of the Month. It’s not fair. Five minutes later….we are plotting a way to guide said four-year-old with Barbie Jeep to take their Yard of the month sign out, by accident.
And friends, I have done this one more times than I am proud to say. Our husbands leave for work in their nice clean sippy cup exempt cars and go to work with grown ups and do things that seem to actually make a difference in this world, while we wrestle with the once again demon possessed washing machine and drive around in our rotten milk sippy cup smelling cars with no one but some radio dj to talk to. {and that was quite possibly the biggest run-on sentence I have ever written} It’s not fair.
There’s lot of things in our lives that seem to be not fair. And as trivial as some of these examples are, I know full and well there are many of you reading this who really have been dealt a card of life that is really not fair. So what do we do with those emotions and those feelings of….this is just not fair?
I wish I had some magic formula. But I don’t. I do however have the sting of cringe in my soul from the way Kennedy treated her sister this morning. And I can’t help but wonder if that’s exactly how the Lord feels when we unknowingly attempt steal someone else’s blessing with the cry of, “It’s not fair.”
However much I listened to Kennedy’s pleas with anyone and everyone that would listen about how unfair her little life is, it makes me a bit sad. Because she’s got a lot of things going for her that other’s don’t. But all to often she just needs a gentle reminder that there’s a lot of good in her little life. And sometimes, that’s all it takes.
I think having a good mental list in our Rolodex of emotions in our mid of all the things that is fair is a great place to start. Then, on those days where it seems like everyone and their brother {or sister} is against you and life will never pan out the way it’s supposed to, we can quickly pull from that list.
It’s fair that Jesus cares and forgives me not matter what. It’s fair that I have food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in tonight. It’s fair that God put people in my life to love me, support me and help me grow. It’s fair that I have a car, with gas. It’s fair that each day I have the opportunity to impact this world once person at a time. It’s fair.
The more we set our minds on the things above and the things that are good, the better off we will truly be. I promise…it works. And it’s completely fair. {smile}
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” -Colossians 3:2
3 Comments
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You know, I heard a great discussion on "fairness" once that I don't think I will ever forget:
We humans tend to view fairness as being synonymous with equality, but what if God views fairness the way baseball rules define it? Any ball within the first- and third-baselines is fair, no matter if it goes to the right or left, only a few feet or a couple hundred (well, at least till the back wall, but you get the idea!). Anything within the playing field is FAIR.
Maybe if we looked at it that way a little bit more in our everyday lives, it would be easier to genuinely "rejoice with those who rejoice" even when they're getting the things we've wanted but can't afford, or strived for but not achieved. (and oh man, am I ever familiar with THAT struggle!!!)
Actually, Revive Our Hearts talked about that very thing yesterday. You can listen or read the transcript here.
Great Post…It is not fair! I left a comment on FB…The blog I wrote this AM could be renamed "It is not fair and take on Kennedy's comments. See when we have "one of those days" we can easily see it as not fair…sometimes melt downs occur…Good thing you are documenting the "Kennedy words of wisdom" as you could have a whole book from her. Still my favorite is the snake on the head when you reached for those cup cakes!
Read this earlier this morning. Then, went to my daughter's soccer game. I thought of this post as a friend and I were talking about something that "wasn't fair." I chuckled inside.
And you know something? What would actually be fair for God to do is wipe out all of us humans and start again.
Wait a second. He pretty much did that, eh?
Ok. The FAIR thing would be to just let us all go to hell because of our sin. What was unfair was that He gave up His Son to allow us to live. No father should have to do that.
Ahhh…we have much to be thankful for and, truly, little to complain about when put looked upon from that perspective, eh?
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