Brown Weeks

So last week in my connect group, we were asked to describe our week with a color and then explain why we chose that color. I chose brown. Why? Because I was having what I would consider a crappy week. That week I dealt with a lot of stress between several tests and assignments on top of work and moving into a new bedroom. That Friday I was happy to see the week gone. Of course I wasn't the only one having a crappy week, and I'm sure in comparison to how the week went for others, it wouldn't have seemed so crappy.

This week I'd consider another brown week. I have a tendency to get so self-absorbed in my own life with all the stress involved that I tend to give myself these self pity parties. "Whoa is me! These allergies are making me sick, but I still have to go to these 3 hour long classes. My cat is being a brat. My hot chocolate is all watered down. I have so much to do this weekend for classes." I find it easy to find crappy stuff in my week and become self-absorbed. The thing is, once I began looking around me, other people are going through tough times. Situations people around me are going through make my complaints about a simple watered down hot chocolate seem ridiculous (althought my complaint is really ridiculous). For instance, one of my coworkers' wife just had a miscarriage. Worse than that, she had to still be induced and deliver the baby boy. What a crappy week, month, even year for him and his wife! One of my friends just had a second car accident within a month. What a crappy month for her! Just found out one of my sixth grade girls experienced a break-in of her home while she was there. What a crappy week for her and her family!

These are just a few examples of how other people are going through tougher times than me. Sometimes we (and when I say "we" I mean "me") need to just step outside of ourselves and our concerns and worries and look at other people in our lives. Suddenly my week doesn't look crappy any more. It seems like a pretty good week for me compared to others. Only when I stop looking at what is going on in my life and look at what is happening in the lives of those around me can I begin feeling compassion and concern for others.

Philippians 2: 3-4 says, "Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves." (the rest of that passage is really good, so take a look for yourself)

Wow! What a thought? Caring about others as much as I care about myself....had I been doing that this past week? It isn't that I don't care about others, it is that sometimes I get so caught up in caring about myself that other people are not at the forefront of my mind.

For those of you going through your own brown weeks, here is a verse to encourage you:

"The LORD will hold your hand, and if you stumble, you still won't fall." -Psalm 37:24

I also want to apologize for being self-centered the past week or two. God is working on this in my life.