Three Problems

Violet is devastated. Her house and belongings were burnt to the ground by fire, leaving her with almost nothing but the clothes she wore. Even her false teeth burnt, so she is

gumming and can hardly eat anything that she could before. She’s living in a small stuffy

storage shed, trying to endure the summer heat without ac. A sour stench sweeps through her property from who knows what. Chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs nestle all over her property -under her shed, in her shed, under the trailer, and everywhere you can think of.

Violet’s property spells destruction and disaster! But she seems blind to three surprising, or not so surprising problems.

First, she loves animals to death. She has no time for killing animals. And if someone

else is not taking care of their animals, she tries to take responsibility for them too. My

educated guess is that she spends more money on her animals than on her own needs. She likely spends 90% of her time tending her animals. She even sleeps with them. They appear to be her very reason for living!

Also, she has a hard time getting along with people. Her relationship with her son and at

least one of her neighbors has exploded because they don’t view animals like she thinks they should. When her neighbors attempt to help her, they can’t seem to do anything quite right for her. It’s hard for anyone to please her.

Lastly, she is unthankful. She has many people and problems to complain about. But I

don’t recall anything she is thankful for. Life as a whole “owes it to her”.

This may seem like an extreme illustration, but many folks suffer tremendously day in

and day out because of these three problems. If Violet would downsize her farm to make it more affordable, be patient with others who are trying to help her, and express thankfulness, her life would be transformed tremendously.

You may not be tempted with this view on animals, but hobbies fit into this category as

well. Keep your hobbies in their place. Make Christ your reason for living, and all else secondary.

Accept and appreciate help from others. Even if you don’t see everything eye to eye,

there is value in appreciating everyone around you. You can learn from people who view life differently than you.

If I follow my feelings, I want to avoid Violet. But as I look back on my week, this experience has influenced my perspective on life. I’m trying to be more thankful for everything God has blessed me with. I want to love and appreciate those around me more -my family, my neighbors, and my challenging customers.