Convenience vs. Inconvenience

America is known for values such as independence, hard work, ingenuity, freedom, and opportunity just to name a few.  However, a value that I don't see showing up on lists of American values is convenience. I researched several reliable sites that try to identify American values and not once did I see this value on a list.  But I see it lived out everywhere, everyday.  It's as though its one of our top, but most unnamed values as a country. Even most new innovation, it seems, moves us towards more convenience in one way or the other. I appreciate the conveniences of our society as much as the next person, but yet I think there are times that we have to choose inconvenience for our own good.

This is NOT a picture of me and my cousins!  

When I was a kid, a relative had one of these machines with an attached belt that you put around your hips and then it shook the living daylights out of your butt and belly.  Supposedly, this was going to help everyone lose a lot of weight.  How convenient.  At any rate, my cousins and I all thought it was great fun.

Some things should be more convenient (like doing laundry, for example).  But doesn't it seem like the things that matter most are usually inconvenient?  Here are some things that are inconvenient for me:

• Having to clear up and work through a hurtful misunderstanding.
• Taking time every day for reflection, prayer, listening, writing and exercise
• Loving people (is it just me or is this usually inconvenient?)
• Making meals from scratch or at least avoiding frozen, highly processed foods
• Driving 45 minutes one way each week to attend church
• Creating a clean and orderly environment to work and live in

There'd be many more of course and I'm sure you can identify your own inconveniences.  I guess we choose inconvenience over convenience when we are clear on the "why" we do something.  I'm thinking that learning to embrace inconveniences may help us all to become the people we are meant to be.  So this year, here's to all of  us choosing our inconveniences wisely and embracing them wholeheartedly in order to grow and become all we can be!