My son is a cartoon day trader

My son, Jacob, always finds something unusual to do with computers.

 

I walked into his room, and he was flipping back and forth between screens on his computer; one screen had little boxes of cartoon accessories—hats, ear buds, keys, and other less identifiable things; and the other screen was the home screen for some video game store.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Oh, this?  These are things that I barter or sell for profit.  This is my inventory,” he said as he rested his cursor on a box with a red hat in it.  Words popped up, designating it as a special type of “angry” hat.  “This hat is worth $270,” he explained.

“It’s not a real hat.  It’s a cartoon,” I said.

“Yes, but people pay real money for these things.  I sell these items or video games.  I have over $200 credit in PayPal right now.”  He flips over to the other screen.  “You see, this $5 game is on sale today only for $1.24.  I can use my credit to buy some of these games, and then sell them next week for $3.  People are getting a great deal, and I’ll make over 200% profit!”

 My son is a cartoon day trader.

I think that I would like my own little computer-screen inventory, but instead of cartoon hats, the boxes would have different aspects of my life.  I could barter or sell the parts I dislike, and hopefully end up with something more palatable.

 I know it sounds ridiculous, but isn’t that what we do when we look at others’ lives and wish ours were more like theirs?  I have seen others heal faster, and I’ve coveted their journey.  I have been with those who stood firm where I faltered, and I’ve desired their resolve.  I have heard of those who escaped the trials that I have gone through, and I’ve wanted their life.  I long for the easier life that others appear to have.

But I wonder, once I started swapping around, would I find their lives any better than mine, really?  And if I did find a life that was easier, would it be acceptable anymore?  I have been told that a life of suffering births great contentment and joy.  Honestly, I don’t feel content, and joy is fleeting.  But I have found that through my own journey I have developed relationships that are deeper and more significant than I’ve ever had in my life.  I’ve impacted other lives through transparent sharing of my own hurts in ways I couldn’t have before I began this journey.  I have developed a deeper and truer relationship with my Father because of my need to rely on Him alone.

I came across this quote the other day:

 “The greatest Christians in history seem to say
that their sufferings ended up bringing them the closest to God -
so this is the best thing that could happen,
not the worst.” ~ Peter Kreeft

That is a goal worth striving for.  Forgetting the injustice of what has been done to me, and instead focusing on what is being done through me because of what was done for me.  If I look at the miracles of grace that I’ve received, would I give those up for an easier life?  Those wonderful, God-filled moments?  The truth is, I wouldn’t trade the pain away because I have received grace abundantly.

Trading the pain would be like giving real money to get a cartoon hat.