Spoiled

Have you ever stayed in a hotel, looked out your window and been frustrated with the view? You might think, “If only I was on the other side of the hallway. The view on that side of the hotel is awesome.”  Have you ever had an evening out at a special event and been frustrated that your seat is so far toward the back? You might be thinking, “If only I was a little closer.” I believe that many people have been in these types of situations at various times and have complained about it. If we spent the same amount of time counting our blessings as we do complaining I can only imagine how much happier we all would be. Let me share a recent experience that demonstrates how spoiled and unappreciative we can be.

 I just returned this week from a company incentive trip. We spent just about a week in the beautiful country of Switzerland. We spent the time at the Fairmont Hotel on Lake Geneva in Montreaux. You could look across the lake and see the mountains jet straight up into the heavens. The green bases led right up to the snow covered peaks. One of our excursions was a day trip to The Top of Europe. The last four miles of the journey was a train ride through the mountain to the peak. We had lunch in a restaurant that looked out over the glacier topped mountain. We also had the opportunity while there to walk through the Ice Palace, which was a walk through an ice tunnel looking at ice sculptures. One of the great things about the trip was that since it was a reward for reaching company goals all the expenses were picked up by the company.

With all of these wonderful things provided to us, it amazed me to hear so much complaining. In order to believe it all you probably would have needed to be present. Can you believe people complained about the view outside their room window?  I heard  comments such as, “Can you believe that I am on the backside of the hotel and I can only see the bottom of the mountain?”  The comments about seating arrangements at the awards dinner were plentiful. “How can you carry on a conversation when the people on the other side are so far away?” The complaining went on and on. I can’t say that I was innocent. I found myself doing my fair share too.

As I had time to reflect I couldn’t help but think about how spoiled I am. There are many people that would have roomed next to the boiler if they had the opportunity to spend the week in Switzerland. I am truly blessed to have great employment in tough economic times, the opportunity to travel the world with someone else picking up the tab, great health when others struggle with ailments and a great family when others struggle with relationships.

Take time to count your blessings. Your day will go much better if you spend time reflecting on your blessings. My challenge to you would be to think of one blessing each day. From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (John1:16)