Today I was told by someone with good intentions that I "deserve" a Lexus. Now, a little sidenote: many of those that know me are fully aware I love the Lexus IS250. It's a beautiful car. When I see one, I'm sure to point it out... especially if it's charcoal gray.
But back to the statement that was made: I truly didn't know how to react. Certainly I don't deserve a Lexus. Not when I know that kids around the world are going to sleep starving tonight. Not when I know that helpless women are being forced into prostitution right in this city. No, I don't deserve a Lexus. Why should I deserve better than anyone else?
What unsettles me most, though, is the realization that it is so much easier for me to point out this problem with words than to actually act accordingly. See, the truth is, if someone set the money for that Lexus in front of me, I might just buy it. In fact, if we are honest, I probably would. I'd see that shiny car, envision myself in the driver's seat and in no time snag one to call it my own. Within the confines of my comfortable lifestyle, it's easy to think I deserve wealth and material possessions. In fact, that's the message society, and even those who care about me, feed to me on a daily basis.
Clearly I'm not above all this, and can't simply surrender my material possessions or wealth with ease. I struggle with it just as much as anyone else. But this thought today was a flag to me, an indicator that I'm on the right path. Bit by bit, my contentment is fading, and I'm beginning to demand more of my life.
I know I'm supposed to live with compassion... the kind that isn't okay with being comfortable while others suffer... the kind that isn't satisfied with cruising around in a Lexus while villages lack running water... the kind that truly demands justice. I'm not yet filled with pure compassion, and I know I've got a lot of work to do to get anywhere near there, but I'm on track, and I'm determined to keep progressing.
