On thankfulness, contentment and cultures......

As I sit here in my red sneakers, I am thankful. Yup, thankful. I complain a lot, I really do. About school, chemistry, rain, sunshine (or rather the lack thereof) cool weather, colds etc. But, this earthquake and tsunami in Japan has really put things into perspective for me.

Here I am sitting on the computer "studying" in my nice warm house with nice fuzzy socks under sneakers, jeans and an overlarge sweatshirt with tea in a mug beside me and a mother just across the room who loves me very much and God who loves me so much more. And people, I complain. Do you realize how ungrateful I am? I know, it's ridiculous!

People in Japan don't have decent food, water, or shelter. They are missing members of their families, sleeping on cardboard, standing in line for hours to get rice crackers and clean water and now they have the threat of a radiation cloud hanging over their heads. If anyone has the right to complain, it is they. But, they don't. They wait patiently and are generous with the meager supplies that they have. The Japanese culture is really one of community. They care for one another.

Our culture is a self-focused culture. It is too individualistic. Sure, it's great to "be yourself" and have your own opinions, but when it goes too far (as it has) other people's opinions just don't matter anymore. YOU make your own decisions, It's YOUR life, YOU need to listen to YOUR heart, YOU deserve the best.

Our culture ignores that, in fact, we are flawed, sinful humans. We don't have enough wisdom to make decisions for ourselves. Not wise ones at least. We need the wisdom with which God has gifted others. We need to pray and read his word before we make decisions. We don't deserve the best, we don't even deserve what we have.

I am not saying that the Japanese Culture is perfect, because it's not, but what I am trying to say is that when you have a culture that doesn't basically say "you are God and your decisions matter the most" you get a lot more done.

What would happen, I wonder, if we had a 8.9 earthquake and a tsunami in San Francisco? Do you think people would stand patiently in lines to get 2 Rice cakes a person and one bottle of water? Do you think people would give their rations to those who are sick and need them more? Do you think people would refrain from looting through houses? I don't think so.

It would be more like looting and robbing and murder and chaos and riots. Our culture says "you deserve better than this."

The Japanese say "I am so blessed to be alive!", "My family is safe!", "We get clean water!"

It all comes back to contentment. Thankfulness and a realization that you DON'T deserve better, you deserve much, much worse. All we have are gifts of God's great grace.