Complaining About a Luxury

This past weekend I got an amazing opportunity to go on a Fall Retreat with a group of college students associated with Impact Campus Ministries. Many things occurred during the retreat and I will post about a majority of it later. However, I really feel God tugging on my heart to first share about one thing in particular that He revealed to me.

 One frigid autumn evening a young man is about to turn-in for the night. He dons his pajamas, lays out his pillow, opens up his sleeping bag and slips inside. Slightly chilled he decides to zip the sleeping bag all the way up and cover his head. The young man tosses and turns a few times and finally drifts off to sleep.
 About a half hour into his sleep, he awakes. Thinking to himself, "This cot is too thin, this bunk is too loud, this bag is too small, and it's just way too hot in this cabin!" After a few adjustments the young man gives it another try. Soon, he is able to nod off yet again. Many times throughout the night a similar scenario takes place. Never completely reaching a comfortable state.
 *Beep Beep* *Beep Beep* *Beep Beep*  It is now 6:35 in the morning. The young man, drenched in sweat and wholly disgusted, reaches over and shuts off the alarm. Excited about what God has in store for him he decides to move past the vexatious evening and hop into the shower.
 Feeling clean and rejuvenated he makes his way down to the fellowship hall. Still a bit sleepy-eyed he chooses to grab a cup of coffee and sit down by the fire. No one else is around. He finds it is a good time to read his bible and journal a bit about the previous evening.
 One after another, people begin to trickle in. Some will gather around various games and others will cozy up near the fire. A hallow hum of conversation occupies the atmosphere. In no time, the inevitable question finds its way to the young man. "How did you sleep last night?" one student inquires. The young man replies, "Not well at all. It was way too hot in the cabin. I was covered in sweat when I woke up." The student agrees it was a bit warmer than he would have preferred. In and out of conversation the palaver finally dies away, leaving the young man, once again, to his own thoughts.
 A few minutes into thought and "BAM!", it hits him, "I just complained about a luxury, a blessing, than many people go without." 

Yea, this is a true story. I caught myself complaining about something God blessed me with. Many people are, right at this very moment, laying on hard ground and shivering. Some may have multiple layers of clothes they found laying around or some old newspapers to lay on, but many of them have not even that. Not a stitch of extra blanket, not a bit of padding to place between their body and the frosty ground. Some people beg for change so they can buy booze in order to gain the false sense of heat hoping to combat against the nippy winds that rips through their dilapidated clothing. While there are people out there freezing to death, I am complaining about being warm.

Previously this year I met nearly 20 different homeless men and women. Some of them are able to find a bed at a local shelter when the temperatures decrease. While others are turned away due to over-crowding. I normally would have expected these people to be faithless. Not so. Even when faced with such hard times, more than a few of these people were completely thankful to God for anything and everything they had. If they were blessed with extra food, they willingly offered it to another person of misfortune that needed it.

My brethren that go without do not complain about having too little, yet I complain about too much?

Talk about God blasting you in the face with a revelation! I am grateful that he did. I hope that I can take this encounter and carry it through life. When I begin to complain about all that I have, I pray that I will be reminded of this moment and instead of complaining shout thanks to the Provider.

Thank you Jesus for the luxury to be too warm.