Life is too short to be a "Debbie Downer"

October 29, 2024

From Pastor Joseph Wamack

A few years ago, when I worked at Celebration Health, near Disney World-there was an 8-month period, where employees had to ride shuttles to and from the hospital campus because they were constructing a much-needed parking garage and so there was no limited parking at the hospital-which was reserved for visitors. So the employees had to “park and ride” shuttles that we boarded about 2 miles away from the hospital. The shuttles came to the parking lot every 15 minutes, and sometimes you had to wait a couple of minutes for the next one to return.

In the end, of course the parking garage was a needed addition to the campus, but at times, someone (me!) was a bit inconvenienced by the whole shuttle experience. When I needed to ride the shuttle, I had to leave home 15 minutes early and stand and wait on the hard ground for the shuttle to arrive. My “have it your way” mentality and selfish insides wanted to resist this new policy and say, “There must be some mistake. Surely you don’t mean I am going to have to do this waiting thing and then sit next to other people on my way to and from work every day?!” (They did mean it and stop calling me Shirley).

But in my wild and reckless selfishness, God spoke to my heart and allowed me to see the bigger perspective. I realized-there were much, much worse things in this world than for me to ride an air-conditioned shuttle bus for 5-7 minutes from a safe parking lot to a hospital where I loved working and serving people.

There have been many worse times in the world’s history where people had to wait. In Russia, women once stood in lines sometimes 4-5 hours a day just to get bread. Jews once stood and waited for deportation trains that took millions of them to death camps in WWII. People in Gaza and Ukraine stand and wait for medical attention or drinking water, or they wait, and hope shelter is available. Jesus waited for Pilate to sentence Him to be crucified on a cross for sins He did not commit.

Horrific things have happened in this world. Me riding an air-conditioned shuttle to a job I loved?

That’s not one of them. How could I possibly complain about riding a bus for a few months, when there is so much for which to be thankful?

This reminds me that much of what happens to us and how we experience life is based on the outlook we bring to the situation. We cannot always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.

I want to choose Life today. I want to choose to be part of the solution rather than the problem. I want to hold my tongue from complaining and open my mouth to praise God and encourage others. Life is too short to be a “Debbie Downer.” I learned to get on that shuttle with a smile, a thankful heart, and a song on my lips. “Great is thy faithfulness-O God my Father. All I have needed; Thy Hand has provided.” But now, excuse me-I have to go catch a MARTA bus!!!!!!!