real life

i read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. they are fantastic. i was on edge, i cried, i literally gasped from time to time...they are ridiculously good. so good, in fact, i am much less frustrated with one of my 4th block students who would not stop reading them in my class no matter how many times i asked him to pay attention. these books stirred up so many thoughts, some of which i'm sure were intended by the author and some of which are uniquely suited to the timing of my reading. i'm still processing the books and all the questions rustled up, but i thought i'd begin to formulate them here as well.

1. we don't get it. the united states has no idea what it's really like to be at war. our country has never been ravaged by full-blown invasion (except of course when we did it to ourselves). yes, we have experienced very tragic attacks, and i don't want to in any way cast those aside as trivial. but can you imagine loss like pearl harbor or the twin towers happening over and over and over and over again? because it happens. but it hasn't happened to us. i am overwhelmed by how i have no idea what so much of the world experiences daily. and it's not just warfare. there is so much pain and suffering that i will (most likely) never understand. i do not understand starvation. i do not understand corrupt government (we have NO IDEA what it's like to really be living under a truly corrupt government. no. earthly. idea.). i do not understand oppression. such great mercy has cloaked us here. and we don't deserve any it. we didn't earn it. God is gracious. i don't know exactly know what this should mean for me in the daily life. i know it isn't supposed to be about feeling guilty or feeling like i have to do something to balance the scales.
2. why do i get so incredibly wrapped up in books and stories like these, but have struggled to have a habit of being the Word the past couple of months?  
3. sort of connected to the last thought, i haven't exactly savored real life recently. i've been feeling very eager to move beyond this season, beyond the student loans, beyond the waiting for direction, beyond the necessity of waiting to have kids...all of it. but what awaits me beyond this season? plenty of real life that if i'm not careful, i will be eager to to move beyond as well. i don't do well living in the real moment of everyday life. 

that's about all i have to process through at the moment. i'm sure there will be more to come, but for now i will leave you with a trailer of what is sure to be a fantastic film...