What I Learned Watering the Yard

I'm finding it interesting that most of us seem to have this tendency toward entitlement. We gain ownership of something that we didn't have before and we're so grateful: a new car, inheritance, wedding gifts, a gym membership...on and on. But there's this invisible threshold we cross at some point after where we begin to feel like we were always entitled to it. "I should have had this all along!" we think. We go from excited to grateful to entitled to something close to indifferent.

How do I know this? Because the only time you awaken from your entitlement is when you no longer have something you thought you were entitled to. Like a sprinkler system. I know...I know. Some of you would say, "Brian, I don't even have a yard!" Good point. But if you ever did have a yard, you probably started to think you were entitled to a yard - like the world and God owe you a lawn. For 10 years I had automatic, programmed, work-while-I'm-sleeping sprinklers to do the work for me. Not anymore. And in many ways...I'm glad. I need to remember that even if the Lord does have a direct line to Rainbird, He doesn't owe me this.

Do you have sprinklers? If so, are you grateful?

Have you had to go outside to go to the bathroom lately?

Are you thumbing a ride to work - catching the bus - riding your bike - or do you have a car that gets you from A to B?

Computer? Cellphone? TV? Running shoes? Golf clubs? Refrigerator?

I know - shut the heck up, Brian! We get it.

Do we? Or do we just not want to hear it?

If you're like me, there is probably something in your life that at some point you were very grateful for - and now you've allowed yourself to think that you should have had this all along - that your life couldn't go on without it - that the world simply owed it to you. Think again.

The only person entitled to anything is God. And He's entitled to our gratitude - for life, hope, peace, salvation, comfort, and for sacrificing His Son so we could be forgiven. And rest assured, I'll remember this tomorrow while I'm watering the yard!