The Easy Button

It was rough day. The kids were pushing my buttons, I was pushing theirs, we had errands to run and swim lessons to make on time. I was tired, stressed and trying not to focus on the anxiety that was rising up about the weekend. While driving with music a little too loud to drown out the kids, I prayed, "God, if we could just get this all done with as little as frustration as possible, and make it all on time that would be so great. Amen." About a half mile later I realized that what I really prayed for and wanted not something as virtuous as patience, joy, or gratefulness but something far more selfish--convenience. I wanted God to push The Easy Button for my life. I didn't want to grow or see God's goodness in the midst of my little storm; I wanted comfort, laziness, convenience. Disgust with myself set in.

That night I was do a skype interview with the director of My Refuge House, an organization that seeks to restore on life at a time by providing a safe house for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and abuse. It's the beginning of my participation in the fight to end human trafficking. I thought about all the evil and hardships that the victims face, the hard and long road it is for abolitionists to walk, and I am praying for The Easy Button. My selfishness at its finest. I realized how privileged my life was. I want my life to be easy while the survivors I was soon to advocate for want to be free and safe and protected and accepted and healthy and to not live in fear, etc. I am not saying that it is wrong to pray for The Easy Button at times. God is a loving Father who desires to give His children good things and graces them with what they do not deserve. What was wrong, and where my disgust with myself focused, is the lack of balance in my prayer life.  At the end of the day, I do not have much consideration for the least of society because I am consumed with myself. My challenge for myself and for others: ask for The Easy Button for yourself but do not forget to plead for the freedom and restoration of others. God desires to give good gifts.

We made it to swim lessons on time.

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