An Abundance of Experience

You should know better than to say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of money!" What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears. You should say, "If the Lord lets us live, we will do these things." Yet you are stupid enough to brag, and it is wrong to be so proud. (James 4:13-16 CEV)

 Things we take for granted in this life are shown very clearly in these verses. We pretend we are in control of our lives. The people in these verses just assumed that they could go do whatever they wanted and make money and get rich. There are people in this world who can do that. They get a plan and put it into action and reap the rewards of it. It allows them to think that they are golden and that nothing touches them. As in these verses, it leads to pride. They do not acknowledge the goodness of God, nor give Him thanks for making their path so easy.

My life has not been like this. Throughout my life, good times, as most people think of them, have been scarce. Whether it has been in the area of relationships, finances, health, friends, or family, things seem to fall apart in my life. Because of this, it has made me very grateful when opportunities to succeed in these areas come my way.

When I meet people who have had success in life, it seems very difficult to explain to them what it means to be stripped of good things in life. They suggest that I try various things for entertainment that are free,  but then I have to explain that I cannot even do what they suggest. For example, when I used to speak of not being to do things because of lack of money they suggest things such as go to a park. I then explain to them that going to a park that is any distance away takes gas and I can't afford to use gas for that reason. Those things are not even taken into consideration for them, it is just an assumption that gas magically appears in their tank. What I see as reciting the facts of my life is seen as self-pity or being negative.

So, what is the point of this post? Am I saying that those who have good things in life are proud and arrogant and do not deserve them? Absolutely not. I am trying to express the difficulty I have in describing truly difficult times to many; especially in America. We have become so used to having an abundance that basic necessities such as gas for the car to go to work are never a concern. It is an assumption and taken for granted. I am blessed to live in a country where, in my darkest times, I have had it much better than the vast majority of those in other countries. Many times I do not feel this way, but when my emotions are stripped away and I can see my life in the reality of the cross, I can say I am grateful for my many difficult times because it has allowed me to see God's hand at work in rescuing me from difficulties. I may not have an abundance of things, but I have an abundance of experience with God's hand at work in my life to fall back on.