Keep Paddling
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians 13:4
I was jealous! Yes, I was so envious of others. I can so clearly remember saying that many times after my father had his stroke which almost took his life. Everything changed! My dad had to learn to walk again and he was never really able to have conversations with me. I was angry! I wanted my father back like he used to be; he was full of life, funny, musically gifted and quite wise.
Headed to college that fall, I had to go to work. Life was not easy because my mom spent almost 3 months at the hospital with him. I looked at friends around me and even though they were sympathetic, my jealousy turned to anger. But who was the recipient of my rage? Certainly not my dad, right? His lifestyle had stroke written all over it but I was too young to understand.
There was an older woman in the congregation that I admired very much. She took me out to lunch one day and we sat outside and ate. There was a pond by the patio (albeit murky, the ducks loved it). We talked and I told her how I was feeling. She asked me to watch the ducks and ducklings carefully. I truly was not the least bit interested in watching these quacking critters swimming in the marshy and filthy water. She insisted. With a sigh, I sat still and watched.
She asked me what I saw and with all the gusto of an exasperated teenager, I told her. She calmly smiled and told me to look again. Oh joy! Another round of worthless observation! She finally asked me, “What can’t you see?” I could not see their feet paddling as fast as they could go. I could only see them glide effortlessly across the surface.
Winifred then gave me a life lesson I have not forgotten. She said I was paddling hard but was not very graceful at it. Then she explained how others may be graceful on the surface but they are paddling even harder just to stay afloat. Why envy others who may have bigger problems than mine?
She suggested that I start counting my blessings and not other people’s.
Heavenly Father, teach me to be less envious of other’s appearance and to keep my focus on You and what You are doing in my own life. You have blessed me abundantly in so may ways and I am grateful. AMEN.