Sunday drives was one of the best things I remember as a little girl. Piling in a car, with eager faces and thoughts of wondering what we would see that day would fill my heart. Perhaps a manicured lawn where images of myself spinning on the grass till I fell would dance in my head. Large houses passing by as I stretched my head to see the “lucky” family that lived there. Glittery sidewalks as I gazed at them, picturing myself walking on the sparkling sidewalk. Glowing lights as dusk would seep on us, changing the neighborhoods into cozy small towns, places, where I wanted to live.

“They are so lucky.”

Bright pink, minty green, mellow blue, sunshine yellow, yes, those were colors that used to dazzle my eyes, put a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Those preppy girls and their latest fashionable clothes, displayed so well to others, especially my envious heart. Oh how I thought they were so “lucky” to afford the latest fashion trends where we could not. Even their hair seemed to be in a perfect place, thanks to Aqua Net. My worn clothes and flat hair could not cut it with the preppies at my school.

“They are so lucky.”

But what does luck have to do with any of this?

I believe God places us in different time periods, different seasons, for different reasons. Yes, it does seem like others have more, maybe seem like they have it all together. But should we classify them as having all the luck or lucky?

What we may see on the outside does not equate to what is on the inside. We never see it all. We never see all the hours worked to afford nice clothes, or a nice house. We never see who gets the choicest assets when a loved one dies, or even the arguments that may ensue.

We never see the frustration of being a single parent, trying her best to raise her kid and hoping there will be college prospects in the future. We never see the struggles others may have to put food on the table, a warm place to stay in, a smile to show the outside that every thing is wonderful.

I will admit I have an envious heart. Envious of others successes and well being. The lucky ones. The smart ones. But is that God’s best for you and me? Do you think He put us with poor families to allow us to suffer grief, hunger and pain?

No.

We live in a fallen world, full of sin, full of pain, full of terrible things. Even in the midst of all this, I think God wants to use us no matter where we are placed in our earthly lives. We do not have to be rich to help others. We do not have to be famous to encourage a down trodden soul.

But you can be yourself.

Instead of thinking about how lucky others are, God has placed YOU in a unique place, to thrive and grow to your full exponential, to be the hands and feet of Jesus. You can help that child have a better day than yesterday. You can help that struggling single mother with babysitting free of charge so she could work or go to college. You can help in a soup kitchen, filling bowls of hope, a smile for a downtrodden soul, a warm touch to let the person on the receiving end know who Jesus is.

Even though the “preppy” style is not in and I am no longer a child (sometimes I miss those times), I too, can be the hands and feet of Jesus, no matter where I am at, no matter where God has put me in this world, no matter what. It is not about luck, but about what tools God has given you to help make the world a better place. If you can do this, so can I.

What can you do today to help make the world a better place?