I had a rude awakening today. Actually, it was more of a pleasant, gentle awakening, but it shook me, nonetheless. I walked into my house today after a long day at school, and I was greeted by my host father holding traditional clothing for a little girl and boy. He was just as pleased as he could be, and all I could think of was, "however will I fit this into my suitcase??"
So I spent about thirty minutes trying to cram it into my suitcase, at which point I had to leave the house for a few hours. When I came back I was greeted by another gift - a traditional Korean hanbok for myself. And I must admit, my first instinct was to react the same way I had before - with frustration at the last-minute additions to my suitcase that I already knew didn't have even the slightest chance of fitting into my already stuffed luggage.
But then I caught myself. What on earth was I thinking?? I have been blessed with a family who really, really cares about me, and bends over backwards to show it. I have been coveting a hanbok since the day that I came to Korea, but had resigned myself to the fact that I would never own one because of the prohibitory price tag. And then in one day I became the owner of not 1, not 2, but THREE hanboks! And I have the nerve to complain that they won't fit in my suitcase??
No matter what is happening, most people could probably find negatives in the situation if they are looking for them. But that works in reverse, too. No matter how bleak it may look, there is always a positive side. And sometimes, like in my case today, the positives far and above outweigh the negatives. At the end of the day, what it comes down to is that God has redeemed us, He has saved us, He has forgiven us. That's reason enough to praise the Lord. But when you realize that every single situation has good things to it, examples of God's enduring love for you...well then, that's just the icing on the cake :).
So I spent about thirty minutes trying to cram it into my suitcase, at which point I had to leave the house for a few hours. When I came back I was greeted by another gift - a traditional Korean hanbok for myself. And I must admit, my first instinct was to react the same way I had before - with frustration at the last-minute additions to my suitcase that I already knew didn't have even the slightest chance of fitting into my already stuffed luggage.
But then I caught myself. What on earth was I thinking?? I have been blessed with a family who really, really cares about me, and bends over backwards to show it. I have been coveting a hanbok since the day that I came to Korea, but had resigned myself to the fact that I would never own one because of the prohibitory price tag. And then in one day I became the owner of not 1, not 2, but THREE hanboks! And I have the nerve to complain that they won't fit in my suitcase??
No matter what is happening, most people could probably find negatives in the situation if they are looking for them. But that works in reverse, too. No matter how bleak it may look, there is always a positive side. And sometimes, like in my case today, the positives far and above outweigh the negatives. At the end of the day, what it comes down to is that God has redeemed us, He has saved us, He has forgiven us. That's reason enough to praise the Lord. But when you realize that every single situation has good things to it, examples of God's enduring love for you...well then, that's just the icing on the cake :).
Psalm 103:1-5
1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
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