I can’t believe I fell into the trap!

Last week, our family went to L.A. for Spring Break. My husband was already there on business so I packed all three kids in the car and we headed for California to meet him. We wanted to go to Universal Studios, see Hollywood and then go back to my old stomping grounds to visit friends.

The first day we walked along Hollywood Blvd. While minding our own business, we were accosted (five times) by people trying to sell a bus tour that drove by the homes of celebrities. After four attempts and four strong “no thank you’s” we took the bait. We bought tickets to go on a two-hour tour of Hollywood Hills, Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills.

We boarded the bus, passed by the Hollywood Bowl, and went to take pictures of the Hollywood sign, that you see above.

Beautiful scenery and beautiful homes surrounded us.

House after house, Gwen Stefani, Jack Nicholson, Justin Beiber, Sylvester Stallone, Lionel Ritchie, and even Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss to name a few. All around us were beautiful mansions, perfect landscape, elaborate architecture, and lots of wealth.

As I looked at all of these beautiful homes, people walking on Rodeo Drive with bags in their hands, I found myself wondering, “Why didn’t I have this kind of life?”

How amazing would it be to live life with a bunch of extra money? Our goal is to pay off our house and even partially fund our kids’ college accounts; the goals we have are the amount of a chandelier in one of these houses.

It happened! I fell into the comparison trap!

I leaned over to my husband and said, “This place oozes money, it seems so normal for them to live this way and I wish it was this easy for us.” I am being very honest; please don’t email me telling me that the love of money is the root of all evil. Trust me, I get it.

My wise and dashing husband replied to me, “It looks easy because you are seeing the results of all of their hard work but you didn’t get to see the process it took for them to get here.”

Mic…. Drop.

He was right. As I was falling into the comparison trap, he was simply enjoying the view, appreciating all that his eyes were taking in. I was so focused on comparing our life to the lives I imagined these people had, that I lost the joy of the moment. When we compare ourselves to others, we lose, every time.

The last time I was in Los Angeles was for our son’s school trip. Part of the trip was to buy pastries and go to a local park and share breakfast with someone who was homeless. Our hope for the kids was that they would sit down for a meal and hear someone’s story.

The people we met were amazing. You would think they would be angry & bitter at the situations life had thrown their way. Yet they weren’t, in fact, most ended up ministering and encouraging the kids.

When we came home from our Hollywood trip, and I walked back into our house, I couldn’t help but think of the contrast between the people I met on the streets years ago and the opulence of Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills.

What I learned is that in all circumstances, there is opportunity to compare.

Have you ever found yourself comparing your faith journey to someone else? Maybe that well-known person in ministry? We see them and where they are now, but what we may not see is the process that they have walked through with God to be there.

If we look at the life of Joseph in the Bible, he was thrown into a pit by his brothers and sold into slavery.

Fast-forward and Joseph ended up living in a palace as the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh. At one point Joseph was like the people we met in the park and at another, he was one of the people on Rodeo Drive. 

Depending on what chapter of his story you met him in, you might compare yourself to him. But remember he had a process, just as each of us does. There would not have been a palace if there hadn’t been a pit.

After thinking about comparison and the trap that I fell into, I couldn’t help but think that the antidote for comparison is gratitude.

Be grateful for where you are right now, and be grateful for the process that got you there. Whether you find yourself in the pit or the palace, finding things that you are thankful for break the cycles of comparison. 

I challenge you to reach out to 3 people in your life and let them know how grateful you are for them and how much they mean to you. You will make their day and yours! Remember, there is no room in your life for comparison when you are grateful.

In the comments, we would love to hear about someone that you are grateful for. As for me, I am really grateful for my husband’s wise words in response to my comparison.

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