Distinguishing Between Problems and Inconveniences

A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works.  -Bill Vaughan 

Whenever I tell people that I am from Ohio, the typical response is, “So, getting a lot of snow doesn’t bother you, right?”  The answer to this question is tricky.  You see, I am from Dayton, which is in the southwest corner of Ohio.  We had some serious snows when I was a boy, but nothing like places such as Cleveland, Toledo, or some of the regions further north.  They get the lake effect snow off Lake Erie and often they get absolutely pounded with heavy snows.  Further south in Dayton we used to have some heavy snow, but our neighbors to the north have always had it worse.  Of course, if you head further north to places such as Buffalo and Rochester, New York, those folks get even heavier snows than their Buckeye neighbors.  How bad the snow actually is can be a matter of perspective, really. 

I am pointing this out because I find myself these days frequently placing problems in some form of perspective.  Some might argue that this isn’t a good idea as it skews our view of the problems we are facing and downplays their significance.  That’s possible, but I have found that placing problems in their proper perspective can empower us to see whatever we are facing in a more positive light and they somehow no longer seem as large and overwhelming.  

As a pastor, I make frequent hospital visits.  Whenever I am having a bad day or feeling discouraged, I sometimes think about all the people I have visited who were confined to a hospital bed and in terrible suffering.  That could just as easily be me.  Yet, here I am enjoying reasonably good health.  I am still healthy, energetic, active, busy, and able to be out enjoying my day – life is good!  Such perspective causes me to realize that I honestly have no reason to be having a bad day.  A good exercise that merits serious consideration is determining the difference between problems and inconveniences.  Here are some examples:

• You start to leave for work one morning and your car will not start.  The steak you ordered at the restaurant is overcooked.  The line in front of you at the store is moving slowly.  It’s raining and you forgot your umbrella.  You are simply not having a good day.  

 All of these are nothing more than inconveniences and do not merit getting upset over.  Now, consider some of the following scenarios:

• You find yourself facing a life-threatening illness.  A close family member is going through a personal crisis.  The plant where you have worked the last 28 years is closing down. 

 In light of these genuine problems those smaller inconveniences lose their power over us. 

What sorts of problems are you facing today?  Try placing them in proper perspective by distinguishing between problems and inconveniences.  The results are wonderfully positive and liberating.  Life probably isn’t as bad as you think it is and will soon get better. 

It’s going to be a great day!