Perspective

I almost had culture shock when we arrived back in the states from Haiti.   The first thing we did at the Haiti airport was appropriate some cold bottled water (in refrigeration).  It hurt my teeth it was so cold.  It was delightful.

Something so small as a bottle of cold water, we take for complete and total granted here in the US.  And houses, that have rooms, and air conditioning and beds.  In Haiti, very few people have those things.

When we landed in Ft. Lauderdale, the airport was freezing.  SO COLD.  I tried not to complain but, really, how much is their electric bill and WHY do you need it a cool 70 degrees?  Then we trudged off to Chili's to eat, and I was appalled at the size of the portions when they brought my salad.   For one thing, we are a generation of obese over-eaters, that WASTE so much food.  (This is all directed at me).  I saw so much hunger and longing in Haiti, and it embarrasses me that we have so much and waste even more.

The fact that we even have bathrooms is an amazing thing.  Indoor!  With a toilet seat.  Most of the villages (the nicer ones) have an outdoor 3 holer toilet that everyone uses.  And everyone bathes in either streams or if they are lucky enough to have water running through a concrete, I call it viaduct, but that's probably not right, that runs around their village, they can wash clothes and bodies in that.  In one village, they had one central place for water, and it looked like chalk, so much dust, dirt and debris in it.  I was mortified.  And this is "Normal" for them.

We have it good.  Some lady was having a meltdown in Walmart, screaming at her friend, that she had broken a FAKE FINGERNAIL, and was just about to have a full blown freakfest,  it was all I could do to NOT go up to her and say....."Chick, you don't have problems.  Your broken FAKE fingernail, isn't an issue.  You go pee in a hole in the ground, and then we'll talk."   Of course, she would have pulled her small caliber weapon out of her purse and popped me in the face, but that's neither here nor there.

The thing is, even in the villages so full of poverty, there was joy.  There was a pure joy that radiated from these people.  They didn't sweat the boat payment, or how they were going to pay for their Disney vacation, or how to get that 5th tv with total sound system.  They weren't tired and overstimulated from running to 2000 activities and events every weekend, going to work on Monday more tired, than leaving on Friday.  That just wasn't the case.

And they were so giving.  The people that have nothing, giving us watermelons and asking us to return.  Do you gift people that you see?  Do you acknowledge how happy you were to see them, and to have them in your home, your presence?  I don't see very much of that.

We are a nation of wealth and prosperity (even the poorest of  people have a bit more than some of the Haitians).  Be blessed by what you have.  Don't long for things of this world....be content in doing for others, and loving what you have right in front of you.   You will NEVER be content wanting more, EVER.  There is no peace in that, no joy... just a sense of always wanting MORE.  You will never find it.  Nothing you can buy or obtain will give you joy and peace, that's only found in doing for others.

Life is short, and it's important to never EVER take for granted the things you have.  Simple things.  They are a gift.

God is good, all the time.