It’s Not Fair

I overheard a conversation while I was waiting in line the other day and it made me think a bit. It was a husband and wife talking about an experience at work.  He was talking about someone at his office, “Every day she comes in just a few minutes before 9 in a huff making sure we all know she’s there.  She sets her purse and everything down – all but dropping them.  She goes off about how this driver wouldn’t get out of her way, or that person wouldn’t do this…  then she goes and get her breakfast from the cafeteria.”

Sounding quite frustrated, he continued, “She claims to work through her lunch, but right at noon she heads to the cafeteria again. She grabs her lunch and brings it back to her desk, where she proceeds to have her lunch with a couple of girlfriends laughing and discussing their children and husbands.  After about an hour of them at the table, she will finally get back to work.  She’ll put in a couple of more hours, but she easily is out of the office by 4:30 every day.  I just don’t get how she can get away with it!  I work my rear off, I’m early every day and usually give them 10-15 minutes extra each day.  Still, she’s treated just as well as I am, and I know based on her comments, her pay and raises are just as good as what mine are.”

I think we’ve all experienced this inequity, or perceived inequity. It can absolutely eat you alive.  Why is it some people seem to get the same (or more) even though you work just as hard and do all the right things?  It’s not a problem that’s new to this generation, decade, or even millennium.

“…These who were hired last worked one hour, and they received the same pay as we did even though we had to work the whole day in the hot sun” Matthew 20:12

I can’t tell you how many times I heard it growing up, and I’m sure, if asked, my son would say the same thing – Life is not fair! We can react in a couple of ways to this. We can let it work us up and spend countless hours and energy focused on, and complaining about it, or we can accept it (a little complaint is fine now and again) and enjoy and cherish what we do have.  Here’s an example – I think it would be amazing to have 2 brand new cars, a new house and money to go wherever I want, but honestly, having my son and my wife doing whatever (except stripping wallpaper), wherever, is a much greater gift to me.

Today, really focus and be thankful for what you DO have. God has given us all so very much to be thankful.  “Father, open my eyes to the gifts in my life and let me be thankful and filled with joy. Let all those around me hear me praise You!  Amen”