Keeping Perspective

Living in America, we are blessed with such an abundance of everything: food, health care, opportunities, safety, freedom. I do believe these are blessings, but they can also be a bit of a curse to us. We are completely surrounded by American luxuries, making us constantly compare our standard of living to other Americans. Who we should really be comparing our standard of living to is everybody else. Ever since we started this adoption, I have read A LOT about the living conditions of so many people living in developing countries. I read about it, I cry, I pray, and then the next day I'm jealous about something I don't have. Even when I KNOW I have so much, I still frequently fall into the American thinking of "keeping up with the Jones'". I have listed my honest thoughts that I frequently have, coming from a typical American perspective. Below each one I have written the thoughts I should be having, based on a global humanity perspective. For some reason these more "global" thoughts do not come naturally so I am making a more determined effort to be continually grateful for all God has given me in this life.

 American thought: Matt's job is so hard on him/ us. He should get paid more for all the work he does.
Global thought: Matt has a full- time job that he can feel good about. His employer pays his salary on a regular basis and he also receives vacation time, medical and life insurance, and a retirement account. We will never be rich according to American standards, but we really are quite wealthy. Even compared to many Americans, we aren't doing so bad. If you make $25,000 a year, you are among the top 10% of the world's wealthiest people.

American thought: I wish we had a newer car that was big enough to fit our baby and the two dogs at the same time.
Global thought: We own a car that has heat and air conditioning and it safely transports us to the places we need to go. Less than 10% of the world's population can afford to own their own car.

American thought: I wish I lived in a slightly bigger house with more modern amenities.
Global thought: We live in a comfortable house in a safe neighborhood. We have clean running temperature- controlled water, a reliable heat source, a kitchen full of appliances and a bed and couches so we can rest comfortably off of the floor. If you sleep in a house every night that keeps you safe from the elements, have clothes to wear and keep your food fresh in a refrigerator,  you are living better than 75% of the world.

American thought: I wish I could afford organic and other specialty food. I wish we could go out to eat more often.
Global thought: I have always been able to afford nutritious food to sustain ourselves.
 There are 925 million people who suffer from hunger on a daily basis.

American thought: I wish we could afford to travel more and do more expensive types of recreation besides walking in the woods.
Global thought: We have enough leisure time and health to even think about recreation. We live in a beautiful area that we can safely explore in day trips from our house. We have enough money to fill our car with gas and we don't have to worry about being attacked while driving around the countryside or taking a walk.

American thought: I wish we could afford to buy more expensive dog food. I wish our dogs had a big fenced- in yard to run and play in.
Global thought: We are wealthy enough to own pets just for the novelty of them. Our dogs do not live on the street, they are not abused, and they are not used for scientific testing. Our dogs are better fed and better cared for than many children in the world. They have never suffered from a lack of food or love.

American thought: I don't feel like waking up so early to go to church. I feel like doing something more fun than reading one of the several Bibles we have in our house. I wish I had a nice, new Bible in a different translation.
Global thought: As an American protestant, I have always had a multitude of choices of which church to attend. I have never received any negative comments about being a Christian. I have never felt hesitant about telling people I go to church (even when I was a teenager) as I have always felt it is a normal, acceptable thing to do in America. I have always had ample access to the Word of God and people to explain and discuss it with me. So many people live in fear every day because of religious persecution. Even worse, many people will never hear about Jesus because Christianity is not accepted in their country.


Even though this song is on the radio about a thousand times a day, I still love it. I probably need that many reminders anyway to maintain a grateful heart.