Jealousy

This is one of my favorite all-time photos of Dakota. We were watching the Green Bay Packers play last fall on TV. Dakota was sporting her Packers cheer leading outfit and looked so cute. She knew it too. I took her picture with Brent, who sets the moon and stars into place in her eyes, and she was shining in her moment. It was right after the first photo was snapped that I got the brilliant idea that it would be a great moment for me to join in and be in a picture with Brent and Dakota.

You can see from her reaction in the photo she was NOT happy with this suggestion. I love that you can actually see the disgust in her body language. She wanted that moment to be about her and Brent only. I had ruined her plans.

Jealousy is that way. It is really wishing only happiness for yourself. When others experience what we wish, we get jealous. It is our nature to be selfish. That is why Jesus was such a wonderful example. He defied all that us as humans thought impossible. He was unselfish and gave freely to all, even in the midst of pain, suffering and betrayal.

"Though he was God,he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges
he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross."
Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT)