I drive a soccer mom van. I proudly own this fact about my
life. But I remember a time…a time before kids…a time when my
life selfishly consisted of Saturday mornings sleeping in, backseats void of
cheerios, and peaceful dinners out when the words “30 minute wait” didn’t
strike fear in our hearts. My husband and I talked about the minivan. And we were quite
certain we would never be minivan owners. However, three kids later,
practicality once again overruled style. And guess what? I have come to love
that minivan. We bought it used, knowing that it was a practical, economical
choice that would get us through these years with little ones. “I will drive it
until it dies,” I’ve said to my husband, proud of my frugal ways.
Until yesterday. You see, yesterday I had to drop the van off at the
repair shop. Realizing they would have it a few days, I asked to borrow a
replacement vehicle from my parents’ family owned car lot. No big deal, right?
That is until my Dad drove up with my replacement vehicle for the week: a
shiny, clean, newer, brighter, and more modern SUV. And now, well, my frugal
minivan is not looking so great.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I have
found this to be true in many areas of my life. Have you ever been to a friend’s
bigger and more beautiful home, only to return back to yours feeling
unsatisfied and discontent? Or maybe you’ve observed the romantic actions of a
friend’s spouse, and then found yourself unhappy and irritated with yours? It’s
amazing how easily the enemy can steal our joy and use jealousy to get the best
of us.
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “Now there is great gain in
godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we
cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with
these we will be content.” Sometimes we just need a little perspective to help
us choose contentment. And for me? Well, the SUV goes back tomorrow, when I
pick up the minivan. And I’m OK with that.
Still Driving,
Susie
Susie, this is so true and social media excaberbates our problems of comparison. I've found myself wishing several times after reading a fb post that my life could be more like that. I love social media and I'm not saying its bad but its another avenue that we use to compare our lives with others. The kicker is that we only see what people want us to see on social media. I've talked to people about their posts and realize that there is much more to the story than what we read on a screen! And honestly we don't want to read all that on social media right? Great post!
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