Jealousy

This is a subject I've been thinking about quite a bit the past few days. You know, that "green eyed monster" that you are warned about as children, and taught to never let him visit. And yet, in adulthood, we invite him in, caress him, feed him, and nurture him in to a full grown, green-eyed, supersaurus.

I have a friend who is aspiring to become a published writer. She has worked hard and has finished a manuscript for the book that she hopes to get published. It may come as a surprise, because of my awesome writing skills, but one of my life goals is to write a book and have it published. I have all sorts of book ideas bubbling around in my head that I think people might want to read...one day...

I'm excited for my friend, but as I watched her get closer and closer to becoming published, that feeling of jealousy began to creep up on me. Mind you, my said book ideas have never even been fully written down, they're in my head, if that counts for anything. But I began to be jealous that this friend may become published before I ever got published. That people would tell their friends about the author they know, and it would be her; not me.

It was stupid. I knew it as it was, but for some reason I couldn't pull myself away from my thriving new green eyed friend. Until I heard about another friend whose life was being torn apart by those that were jealous of her cultivated talents. I never realized how much my jealousy could affect the person I was jealous at. I thought my green-eyed pet -that I had groomed, loved, and cared for- would always just stay hiding in my closet. But after I heard my friends sad story, I realized that green-eyed pets aren't breed to live in the closet forever; green-eyed monsters come out and play.

Its a fact that is shown to us in the story of David and King Saul. You know- the same David that helped Saul out by slaying Goliath? David is put over Sauls army and as they are marching back from war against the Philistines the women of all the cities sing out, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." 1 Samuel, 18:7. Wa-la, a green-eyed infant is born. Sauls jealousy gets so corrupt that, although David does everything Saul asked, the king tries to kill him several times.

So do I have a lot of others to be jealous about? Absolutely. I have a sister who's having an opportunity to build her career as a dental hygienist while still in high school. Multiple siblings, friends, siblings-in-laws (pretty much everyone), that make more money than I do and are able to afford things I can't . An older sister who is better at crafty things than I am. Friends who are prettier. Acquaintances that are more likable. People who have cooler jobs and contacts.

But the point is, life is not about tearing down those who have and know things we don't. It's about celebrating what they do, being excited for the progress they are making in their life, and loving them unconditionally. Life is about relationships. If we continually tear away at those relationships with jealousy soon all we will be left with is one spoiled, overfed, needy, green-eyed pet.