Suburbia is Killing Me

I can't believe it has really been 6 weeks since I allowed the time to indulge myself in some mind-clearing, gut wrenching blogging. Summer is crazy in the Wright house as I am sure it is in most homes. Vacations, pools, playgrounds, friends, barbecues and sunscreen eat up most of our time in the months of June and July. Running around trying to cram it all in before the days start to get shorter and the weather begins to get cooler. Just trying to do the all-American thing that most families do during summer vacation. I get caught up in the busyness of it all. Packing for two weeks at the beach for five people seems utterly overwhelming and exhausting at the moment. Picking out the right out-fits for all of us to wear for great beach pics! Applying sunscreen, then re-applying sunscreen. Making sure lunches are packed and ready to be toted to the pool. Everything seems so.....so.....Suburbia.

I mean, really, does it really matter that all of us wear coordinating colors for beach pictures? Or that everyone has a different outfit to wear each day on vacation. The things I work myself up over are, needless to say, RIDICULOUS! And then, my sweet, godly, righteous husband says it all to me during a Sunday afternoon stroll, "I think Suburbia is killing us. It is the worst thing for our walk with the Lord and the kids." What! I mean how can Suburbia be bad for our family? We live in a great neighborhood with lots of families and kids and fun and....and....and....he is right. It is killing us.

I am justifying desperately seeking the complacent life because I really like Suburbia. I freely admit I like the comfort of it all. The friendly neighbors, the good schools, and even, dare I say it, "keeping up with the Jones." Not like we can even begin to keep up, but at least the "Jones" keep me informed of what ever is the popular at the moment. And as I begin to pray about it, I am completely convicted that it really taints what it means to be a follower of Christ. Please hear me when I say, there is nothing wrong with Suburbia, but it keeps us all so comfortable. We like the comfort. We begin to forget what it is like to step out on faith and rely on the Lord for everything. We get comfortable in our homes, our circumstances, our faith. We compare ourselves to the "Jones" next door and at least we are going to church and have a relationship with the Lord. We become so comfortable in our lives in Suburbia we forget to deny it all for the sake of the cross.

So now our goal has become familiarity and contentment. I find myself teaching my children the things that are really unimportant. Oh, Lord forgive me for loving Suburbia. I want to be willing to keep my faith fresh and real and I want my children to desire that instead of good schools and constant entertainment. I really do want them to know that He is all we need. But I do such a poor job at it. I want them to have the "best" just like everyone else. And yet all it is teaching them is the opposite of Jesus. Focused on self and the things of this world. Material things don't matter, education doesn't matter, pretty houses and cars don't matter, and heaven help me, cute children's clothes don't matter.

So my prayer has become "Lord, please don't let Suburbia kill us, the Wright family of five." Don't let it kill the passion we have to save those who don't know Jesus. Don't let it kill the the desire to be content in ALL circumstances. Don't let it kill my understanding of what is important. Don't let it kill this house who chooses to serve the Lord our God. And please don't let it kill the hearts of our church.

I have so far to go...but acknowledgment is the first step to healing from this sneaky illness called Suburbia.

Until next time,
Megan