Popping my envy balloon

We seem to be born with an innate need for fairness.  My son brought this point home to me just the other day in an exchange we had about a beloved balloon.  As a survival strategy at the grocery store I have started paying for the good behavior of my children with a free balloon when it’s time to leave.  After a recent trip Josh was exiting the van when I heard a loud noise and then a cry.  I asked him, “What’s the matter, Josh?” And he told me, “My balloon popped!” I asked him if there was something I could do to help him feel better and he said, “Fix my balloon!” I told him, “Oh Josh, I can’t do that.”  To which he replied, “Then pop Danny’s!”  I’m not exactly sure how popping his little brother’s balloon would have fixed things in his mind, but I think it had to do with fairness.  If Josh couldn’t have one, no one should.

I’d love to say that after leaving childish ways behind me I’ve never had those kinds of thoughts, but that just wouldn’t be accurate.  I have felt envy as I’ve seen the beautiful homes of my friends, the sporty cars I guess you’re allowed to drive if you don’t have to buckle in three car seats, and the biggest envy trigger of all- those families whose kids sit silently beside them during church.  How is that even possible?  Although I’ve come to terms with not having exactly what my neighbors have, I still think it would be easier to cope if we were at least all in the same boat.  How far am I from asking for someone else’s balloon to get popped so I don’t feel bad about losing mine?

I am learning that the key to fully enjoying the gifts God has given me is to embrace contentment.  I have been amazingly blessed and have even learned to see blessings in the trials I’ve walked through as I see how they bring me closer to understanding the heart of God.  Instead of asking for fairness from God, I want to be thankful for the life He’s given me and to find joy in the happiness of others.