Your diamond shoes

Have you ever heard the saying "Are your diamond shoes too tight?"  One of my high school teachers said this once and I will never forget it.  I am pretty sure it was Mr. Hutson, but I could be wrong.  It was almost 20 years ago when I heard it and I probably have just lumped all good things said by a teacher under his heading because he was so awesome.  Let's see if he actually reads the blog.  Anyway, that was a quick chasing rabbits, let me get back to my topic.  Are your diamond shoes too tight means you are whining and complaining about things you should not be whining about but be thankful you at least have whatever it is.  I mean if I had diamond shoes, I'd be so proud of those suckers it wouldn't matter if they rubbed blisters on my feet.  Another saying in that same family, "I can't fit all my 100's in my wallet!"  So here we are at the start of the blog that I have been scratching the surface of all week.

WE HAVE GOT TO STOP COMPLAINING PEOPLE!!!!!

This past Sunday, the lesson my Sunday school teacher taught got his feet all up on our coffee table (meaning he got all in our business).  It was about our complaining.  Boy did it get me thinking and reflecting!  So, this past Monday I posted on Facebook for people to look back and see if they had a habit of always complaining in their Facebook post.  I did the same and found that I don't complain much or I just had a really good week.  Probably the latter.  I mean we all complain, all of us.  Under that post was a comment from a sweet young lady from my church that is on an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries.  If you want to know more about her, just ask me, I could talk all day about how wonderful I think the things she is doing are.  She is selflessly serving the "least of these" all over the world in some of the most awful but sometimes beautiful places.  Anyway, her comment was this "America has real problems.  The people out here know how to live in love, and they're happier in their conditions than most Americans are in theirs.  It's hard to live on this side of the world and see all the selfish posts from people back home, but I definitely don't think you're bad about it."  People, she is in Africa right now.  Starving, AIDS infested, war torn Africa.  And here I was complaining that my daughter's bus was a little late!  Thank you Lord my children have a free (OK somewhat free) education that will come pick them up and deliver them to an air conditioned building to learn and they feed them!  

Maybe you don't like the current president or the past one, be thankful we live in America and get to vote on our president and are not governed by a group of militant dictators who would kill us for ever posting some of the stuff people post on Facebook about the government.  Do you really need to everyday post some new reason you hate the current administration?  Stop complaining!  Be thankful we GET to vote!  

Maybe your shutters outside your house are falling apart and need painting, be thankful you have windows to hang fake shutters next too!  Maybe your plumbing leaked, be thankful you have clean running water!  Gas cost $xxx a gallon, be thankful you have a car to put gas in!  Maybe you don't like the way something is happening at your church, be thankful you are allowed to worship God freely.  Maybe the cashiers at your local nationwide store get on your nerves and don't always smile, be thankful you have a grocery store to shop in that has clean food, that is inexpensive and there lots of choices.  How are those diamond shoes feeling now?  Still a little tight?  Let me keep going.  Maybe you had to wait 1 hour and 45 minutes at the doctors office, be thankful you didn't have to travel 75 miles in a borrowed car with a child that's about to die hoping you find a doctor.  Maybe, the trash man didn't set your trashcan back upright, be thankful you don't have to live in the trash dump.  Maybe your kids are driving you crazy, be thankful you were able to have or adopt kids.  Be thankful they are still with you.  Be thankful they can talk and get on your nerves.  Oh, I'm sorry, did my diamond shoes scuff up your coffee table?

Our girl's youth minister at our church just announced last night she is planning on going to Europe for 3 months or more to work with people that are in the sex trafficking industry.  How could we ever complain again if we saw the life that some of these girls are forced to live?  Some kidnapped others sold by parents who were starving are being forced into drug addiction and prostituted until they die.  Thank you Lord we live in America and this is something none of us have to worry about for our children.  

So here's the bottom line, we all complain, I complain, you complain and goodness knows our kids complain.  The thing is we live in America, we've got it so good.  You may be living paycheck to paycheck but we are insanely rich compared to the world.  You may have had to steal from your MLGW bill fund to buy the $100 calculator for your kid but we still have it so good.  Be proud of your diamond shoes don't complain about the fit!  Try for 1 week to be ridiculously positive.  I mean, so positive about things you get on your co-workers and friends nerves.  Don't complain, find the positive in everything you say and do.  Challenge your kids to stop complaining.  Please challenge your kids, I have 6 kids and between their friends I hear some serious complaining!  Hold them to it, hold your spouse to it, hold your friends too it.  Make a pack to stop complaining.  It will be hard, I promise.  I will fail, I promise.  Today, I wanted to complain about something, I wanted to call a friend and spout off about how terrible something was but I stopped myself.  Today I stopped myself but I know I will succumb to complaining before next weekend.  You want me to hold you accountable, tell me!  I will call you out, if you call me out!  Check back in with me next weekend, let me know how you did?  Was it an epic fail (I can't believe I just used that word, I had the word epic!) or was it a success?  

My quote this morning from Madagascar, "Just smile and wave boys, smile and wave."