Last week, I wished I had a snowsuit. Preferably fur-lined. And if it could somehow perform like a battery operated heated blanket? #AWESOME
I’m not used to looking at the weather and seeing that it’s 8 DEGREES OUTSIDE. Let’s not even talk about the spasms that happen when I actually go outside. First, I’d have to actually resuscitate myself enough to move from my semi-paralyzed state of realizing the temperature is a mere single digit.
I saw a lot of social media action last week on the topic of weather. And as I was outside with my kids, slightly bruised from falling off my way-too-small cookie sheet sled, I started thinking about how weather and life are alike.
There was a lot of this action:
southerner: I’M FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S 4 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!
northerner: 4 degrees? sounds like a heat wave to me!
southerner: NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!
northerner: what?! I can’t believe you get out of school for that!!
The conversations made me think about what I tend to do – not just with weather, but with life.
When someone talks about how stressed they are, do I take time to listen?
Or do I think, “pfffffffft. they don’t even know the meaning of stress!”
When a friend tells me about a great date night, vacation, manicure, etc. she had, can I honestly be happy with her?
Or do I immediately compare her best story with my worst one and feel mistreated?
You know, the funny thing with weather? We live in different climates.
So what’s balmy to me might seem cold to others. And what’s freezing cold, time-to-buy-a-snowsuit weather to me is probably summertime to Canadians. And that’s okay. We all live in different places. Furthermore, our bodies have the remarkable ability to adjust to where we live.
Same with life.
We all live in different life climates.
Different families, jobs, relationships, financial situations, responsibilities, abilities, desires, and struggles.
So what’s hard for me might actually be enjoyable for someone else. And when I look at someone else struggling with something I perceive to be ‘easy to deal with’ – I want to remember that they’re living in a different climate than I am. I only see one tiny part of their story.
Don’t look at someone & compare.
Look to God and trust His wisdom in placing you exactly where you need to be.
May we have a gracious, God-focused attitude towards others today.
Comments
2 responses to “ice. cold. and comparisons.”
I hear you!
Although I am not always as gracious and compassionate as I want to be, I really try to put myself in the other person’s shoes, be it in the happy or the sad.
But when someone tells me upon hearing my current woes, that “pffft they wish they had my problems” I get really mad. It just goes to show that they don’t have the slightest inkling of what makes me feel bad or why, to me it implies very loud and clear that they don’t care.
This bragging about who’s of worse or “look what I got that you don’t” is really so pointless….
True, well and sweetly said.
Also, adorable pictures!