I had The Most incredible day! I met some amazing new friends, connected up with a fellow worker from my former region overseas (and serving a people group that I still pray for constantly), hung out with new friends at lunch and for a time afterward, and had soul-nourishing conversations and laughter.

This morning Rick showed a Sarah McLaughlin video to preface his sermon. It was incredibly powerful and humbling. Shaun has a great post on this. I’d highly recommend watching the video and taking account of your own life afterward.

Rick’s sermon was on coveting. And I, like most "mature" Christians listening, I’m sure, thought, oh, I don’t really need to pay much attention today. This one’s not for me. I don’t want somebody else’s stuff, I want my own.

Whomp! That’s pretty much the sound I heard just before Jesus smacked me upside the head with Rick’s sermon, point after point, after point….

The one that hit the hardest was that coveting comes from a lack of gratitude.

Last week I found out I’m getting the exact place to live that I wanted. Its the place I’d left a couple weeks ago shouting "YES!!!! I don’t know what your answer is, Jesus, but mine is YES!!" and then proceeded to spend the next two weeks begging Him to let me have it.

Well, He did. And was I happy and jumping for joy? Not exactly. Now I was attacked daily with pang of worry over finances — what if this temp job I have falls through?  What if they decide they don’t want to hire me after all?  What if I can’t get another job? Will I be able to pay for this place… it is a little pricier than I’d planned, but I’m not paying utilities, so that helps doesn’t it??

Round the questions and doubts and worries went. No, I wasn’t grateful I’d gotten the place of my dreams. I was fretting that God wouldn’t come through the next time. This morning I came face-to-face with the reality that I’m so ungrateful for all that God has blessed me with.

My car, an old Ford Escort that continually reminds me that it’s name really does mean "Fix Or Repair Daily". But it was loaned to me at no cost over two years ago while I began the healing and grieving process after the deaths of my parents. And then it was sold to me by a generous family of four who’d discovered while I was borrowing it that they really don’t need two cars.

My roommate, provided to me by God at the last minute, for a season when money and jobs were scarce. Now I really can afford the place I wanted when I first moved here.

The jobs I’ve had. Especially the one I currently have. I absolutely love going into work. I love the people I work with. I love the work I’m doing. How many people can say that?

And then there’s the more global perspective. Last month Shaun posted a link to the Global Rich List site.

I plugged in my income and discovered this little fact:

You are in the top 3.46% richest people in the world.
There are 5,792,173,913 people poorer than you.

Okay, this isn’t really news to me. I’ve lived in India, I spent 6 weeks in Ethiopia. I’ve visited rural China. I got the hint that I was pretty dang wealthy by the rest of the world’s standards when I was given top student housing to stay in during my first visit to China, which would have been considered slum lord project housing here in the States.

I have it really good. I don’t just have it sort of good, or pretty good. I have it really good.

Too often I forget that.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. — Phil 4:12-13