Spoiled With Stuff!!!

I found the above picture that is pretty much the mentality of many of us. It's small, but it says, "I'm not spoiled. I deserve all my stuff!" My blogs often times will step on toes, I'm stepping on my own too because we need it, so consider this your warning if you wish to continue reading. :-) Often times I REALLY take for granted living in the United States of America! We are SO spoiled in this country with all of our toys, gadgets, new cars, new homes, new clothes...just STUFF!!! Just take a look at the "stuff" we have. For instance, I'm typing this blog on my laptop, with the lighting fast internet(Forget that stone age dial up. Now days we HAVE to have the FASTEST and best internet.), and I have a cell phone sitting next to me that has all the bells and whistles,too. Really?? Do I need all this "stuff"? Certainly not, but...could many of us function without it?? I'd probably get the shakes and need therapy if I didn't have this "stuff"! And for that, I'm not proud, and I'm working on not spending so much time on my "stuff" because it takes away and distracts me from God. I know that's what Satan wants it to do. He's definitely good at deceiving, and using our "stuff" to take away our focus from God. Now...let me get to the point of my blog, Thursday morning on my way to work, I got a phone call from a coworker asking me if I was going to McDonalds for breakfast. I wasn't going, but all it took was the next few words out of her mouth to convince me to change my mind. I said, "No, I hadn't planned on it. Why?" She says, "Well, we have no water here at the office, and noone can get coffee, so I just wondered if you were going so you could get me some." Well as soon as I heard "no water in the office", it's like my heart went into panic mode! GASP!!!! NO WATER???? What on earth are we going to do? How will we ever get through the day?? So, after going to McDonalds I get to work, and all I'm hearing is people in a panic about not having water mostly because they can't get coffee. Seriously??!! I sat at my desk listening to some of the conversations and hearing over and over, "We have no water!!" The bottled water in our vending machine sold out in less than an hour! I even texted a coworker to warn her about no water so she could stop somewhere on her way to work to get coffee or whatever if she needed it. Then all of a sudden, it was like something smacked me in the head, and I started shaking my head, asking myself, "Julie! What is wrong with you?? It's no water for ONE day." I started thinking how foolish we all were to panic over no water for ONE day when there are people in other parts of the world who never have access to water, let alone it being CLEAN!! How they would LOVE to just go without water for ONE day, but instead, they go days, weeks, months without clean water or maybe even water at all. I hate when I become so desensitized and forget how blessed I am to be in this country, to be able to go to a faucet and get clean water any time I want, or have instant internet access with me 24/7 which is just stupid if you really think about it. We don't realize how we have EVERYTHING here until one day someone says, "There's no water!", and we start flipping out. Don't deny it, you know you've been there. To make this story even worse, the water was just turned off due to a leaking toilet, so all someone had to do was turn it back on. So we didn't even go ONE day without water, but more like an hour...maybe. For some, you'd think the world was coming to an end the way they were carrying on. I wish we could and would be more thankful for the things we have here. I think it would do every person good to go to another country and SEE just how spoiled we are, we have a fit if the internet is down, or our cell phone doesn't work. I've done it, too, and how shameful and stupid that is when we have everything!! I know we have poor folks in this country who don't have things, but even they are rich compared to the people in third world countries. I often wonder why I was chosen to be born into this country to the family I have. I know we shouldn't question God, but sometimes I feel guilty for all I have, and it's just not fair to other people around me who have nothing. Sometimes, I'd like to be able to sell all my possessions, but the human nature part of me just can't seem to let go. Why is that?? This "stuff" isn't going to get me to Heaven, and I'm certainly not taking any of it with me, so why do I feel the constant need to hang on to it all? Forgive us Father for taking so much for granted, help us to be more thankful for all we have because all the "stuff" is a gift from YOU. I hope you all have a blessed Saturday, and please...take a moment to thank God for all the blessings in your life!