Today, while I was exercising at the local rec center, I received a fresh conviction from God while I was chatting with another mom. Here it is. We were talking about India and America, and how the countries are different in many things, and the same in many things. I told her that I had much to learn from India. I became aware of much more of the problems and idols and burdens and chains of living the American dream, while I was in India. Again. Each time I have gone, I feel like God has revealed fresh truth to me this way.
Our garage door is broken. It was rattly for a long time, but we were just so blissfully happy to have an attached garage with an automatic opener, that we refused to deal with it. Now we must. We can open it, but it won't close...unless you stand beneath it and push the remote and then push the door in at the same time. ( A few years ago, I got my finger stuck in a garage door as it was opening and I just can't quite bring myself to push that metal thing in as it lifts up.....maybe I need some psychotherapy first. ) Because I tend to avoid conflict by nature, my solution is to just leave the door open or not open it at all. Here's the problem. Our house is situated at a busy intersection and many cars drive by. The shamefully proud, dutch, fear-of-man small person who lives inside of me does not want to leave my garage door open so that I can be judged and scrutinized on how our family keeps our garage. Is that not the dumbest thing you've ever read? I agree. But it's true. So. I've been leaving the car on the driveway....in freezing rain. I have to open extra doors to get into the house because I'm too proud to leave the daggum garage door open...and to scared to stand inside and man-handle it closed. Sigh.
In India. In India....the majority of people do not have a garage.....or a car....or enough stuff to feel like they are untidy or unorganized or not impressive enough to be show-cased to neighborhood traffic. We Americans are just plain dumb. We really are. If I didn't need to travel around the county for work, I'd just punish myself by leaving the dumb car inside the garage I am not even sufficiently grateful for...and walk.
Our garage door is broken. It was rattly for a long time, but we were just so blissfully happy to have an attached garage with an automatic opener, that we refused to deal with it. Now we must. We can open it, but it won't close...unless you stand beneath it and push the remote and then push the door in at the same time. ( A few years ago, I got my finger stuck in a garage door as it was opening and I just can't quite bring myself to push that metal thing in as it lifts up.....maybe I need some psychotherapy first. ) Because I tend to avoid conflict by nature, my solution is to just leave the door open or not open it at all. Here's the problem. Our house is situated at a busy intersection and many cars drive by. The shamefully proud, dutch, fear-of-man small person who lives inside of me does not want to leave my garage door open so that I can be judged and scrutinized on how our family keeps our garage. Is that not the dumbest thing you've ever read? I agree. But it's true. So. I've been leaving the car on the driveway....in freezing rain. I have to open extra doors to get into the house because I'm too proud to leave the daggum garage door open...and to scared to stand inside and man-handle it closed. Sigh.
In India. In India....the majority of people do not have a garage.....or a car....or enough stuff to feel like they are untidy or unorganized or not impressive enough to be show-cased to neighborhood traffic. We Americans are just plain dumb. We really are. If I didn't need to travel around the county for work, I'd just punish myself by leaving the dumb car inside the garage I am not even sufficiently grateful for...and walk.
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