Comfort. It's such a sweet word. Our toes tingle, and hearts sigh just at the mention of it. I adore comfort. There's nothing like putting on my favorite fuzzy socks, warming my fingers with a cup of tea, and cuddling up with my laptop on the sofa. Certain sounds, sights, and smells release the power of sweet nostalgia, and quickly usher me into a state of pure bliss. Homemade bread, baking in the oven. The white background noise of Monday Night Football. Raindrops gently dancing on my rooftop.
Cushioned pews at church. Taco night. The inexpressible joys of discovering treasures on Pinterest.
Ahh, this life is so comfortable.
Every once in a while my creamy, Marshmallowy coffee cup of life is bombarded by a foreign endeavor.
I gasp in sheer horror, as pain and discomfort attempt to mess up the soundtrack of my perfect little life.
The Wifi connection drops. My texts won't go through! I can't use the internet for days. The electricity goes out. I can no longer watch reruns of Boy Meets World. The microwave oven blows up. No more insta-popcorn. Church runs a little bit too long, and my stomach is growling. I'm crabby because there's “no food in the house!” I complain about the annoying chick at work, who doesn't seem to like Christians. I don't want to lift weights, because my tiny little arms will hurt soooo badly afterwords. Don't ask me to spend my Tuesday evening at the local outreach center, feeding the homeless....because, well....I'm going to miss the next episode of 19 Kids and Counting. Does God really want me to spend my birthday money to feed those who are starving in another country? What about that expensive new pair of boots that I want?!
If any of these scenarios above sound familiar, you've probably Tweeted about them, then added the hashtag #FirstWorldProbs.
You guys, let's be real. Sometimes we are such wimps.
(Now before you toss this issue out the window and gasp in offense, “Did she just call me a wimp?!” allow me to explain.)
Let me tell you a little story.
One day, as I was skipping through the grassy fields of my sugar-sweet life, I saw an image that didn't sit well with me. It was so graphically horrific that I literally felt sick to my stomach. There, blinking on the computer screen in front of my eyes, lay the picture of a little girl who was freshly beheaded.
I did a double take, my eyes struggling to process the staggering sight. She couldn't have been any older than four or five. Her sweet little stocking-footed toes lay lifeless, and the little girl in her dress looked as if she should be out playing imaginary games with her dolls. But she wasn't. Because she had no head. Yes, there was blood. And yes, I felt a little queasy...but the most powerful emotion ruling in my heart at that moment, was absolute outrage.
Why?
Because I wasn't leafing through a history book. This wasn't something that took place years ago.
No my sisters, this was just last week. Photograph after photograph spoke of the bloody atrocity...Christians in Iraq and Syria are being systematically hunted down, and murdered. Men are being crucified, and women are watching their children die before their very eyes. Simply because they won't succumb to the fear and deny that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Talk about an uncomfortable situation.
Why do I get so frustrated when my cell phone charger won't work? Why do I find myself whimpering and complaining every time I face a challenging situation?
My dear sisters, the Lord Jesus is calling out to us. He desires to shake us and awaken us. We are living in a hazy dream world, stumbling around, subscribing to the culture around us. We obsess over makeup, bad hair days, Hollywood celebrities, and the latest gossip at school...meanwhile our brothers and sisters in Christ are being murdered for the same faith that we profess in total freedom and safety.
Isaiah 51:2 says,
“Awake, awake O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor...”
Can you hear the rumblings of His Spirit inside of you? Can you hear the whisper of His heartbeat? He is calling you to arise! What is it that He desires to express through your life, and let His message roar out of you like an unstoppable lion? Jesus said, “That which is whispered in your ear, proclaim it from the rooftops.” [Matthew 10:27]. What is it that God has been speaking to your soul? What does He desire to awaken you to?
Letter From the Editor: Shattering My Teacup of Comfort
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