Refraining from Complaining

Photo by Shifaaz shamoon on Unsplash

I recently met a man, who goes by the name Johnson, although he was born in India. He has dark brown skin and a head full of straight, mostly black hair. He’s been in the United States for over 20 years, and he just celebrated his fortieth wedding anniversary. He grew up in a village where clean water was non-existent. Education was a luxury, and where disease, air pollution and other environmental hazards were the norm. Despite the odds, he made it to the United States with his family. According to him, he lives a blessed life. He has a joyous smile and an attitude of gratitude. He also echoed what I’ve heard other immigrants say, “Make no mistake about it: America is the best nation on earth.”

He meant it from the depth of his soul. Many of us who were born here take this for granted. Yes, there are problems and divisions. We have partisan politics, shameful pockets of poverty, and more “isms” than I choose to list. These same things and worse also exist in more homogenous societies. It’s difficult for many, but it is possible to rise.

Many of us are merely a generation from some of the same conditions that Johnson fled. Some of our parents or grandparents did not have indoor plumbing and had to walk to get fresh water daily. They had to walk miles to get educated, and they considered it a privilege to do so. They could not go to certain places we slide through with ease. They marched, and they had to fight for basic rights and dignities that were afforded others. They cared for other people’s children, while their own children were being cared for by someone else. They worked long hours and often found themselves underemployed and unemployed – not because they were lazy, but because the opportunities weren’t there. Some learned to create them, while others sacrificed with back and spirit breaking work for the next generation, for us, and for the ones after us. And many of them died far too soon because of it.

But what they lacked in possessions, they were rich in faith, love, and hope. They understood legacy. They knew that family wasn’t limited to just blood relatives and that looking out for your neighbor – meant your tribe was stronger. We, who have been afforded the opportunity to walk through doors that were bolted shut to them, have so much to thank God about.

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But we spend too much energy focusing on what things are NOT, instead of what things are. We miss it - the grace and beauty of God in it all. Think about this morning. We woke up in warm beds in homes that we may own. We were able to pray, meditate, or praise our God the way we wanted without fear of persecution. We were able to take a hot shower or bath. Maybe we ate breakfast or drank coffee or tea before seeing our spouse or children off to school or work. We may have watched the morning news on the television or online and exercised our right to agree or disagree with whatever we saw or heard. We got in our cars or went on public transportation to get to work, or maybe we were fortunate enough to go to room in our house to do what God has called us to do.

All of us have faced challenges, but the God of all glory has graced us to run on to see what the end might be. Everything may not be like I desire it to be, but I’m giving thanks for the lessons in all of it. As the Reverend Paul Jones wrote: “I Won’t Complain.”

[Verse1:]
I've had some good days
I've had some hills to climb
I've had some weary days
And some sleepless nights
But when I look around
And I think things over
All of my good days
Out-weigh my bad days
I won't complain

[Chorus:]
The Lord Has been so good to me
He's been good to me
More than this old world or you could ever be
He's been so good, To me
He dried all of my tears away
Turned my midnights into day
So I'll just say thank you Lord

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/r/revpauljoneslyrics/iwontcomplainlyrics.html

I am shouting from my soul that I am thankful for His grace and I am thankful for Him. As the Lord said to the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in your weakness.” 

Our lives are not perfect, but like Johnson - we are blessed. As the holidays approach, I encourage each of us to focus on what matters. LIFE. For those who may need a reminder: The God of all creation loves you unconditionally. He is with you, and He has placed at least one person on this earth who needs and reverences you. There is no situation that is beyond His reach, and nothing that is too difficult for Him. Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

©2018 by Antoinette V. Barber