Today I (Allie) learned that officially Chicago is ranked as the most stressful city in America. Even crazy NYC is #2. Chicago is stressful because of its urban density, high cost of gas, wild weather, and commuting nightmares (OK, so I added some to the official list of reasons).
This ranking, of course, does not surprise me. The pace of Chicago life is enough to bring a person to his or her breaking point quite easily. Due to flooding and special events, it's taken me 1.5 hours to get home from work each night this week. And, my work schedule is such that I leave at an off time.
I just had dinner with a good friend who, like me, is a transplant Chicagoan. She and I talked about the disadvantages of city life, especially how we spend so much time commuting and dealing with cityness that we are not as involved in serving in our church.
Yet we know that God has a plan for us to be here. Yes, we could be more involved if we lived in more sustainable towns, but this is where God has us now. And, we know that God gives us ministry opportunities right under our noses.
Tonight, as I drove home from dinner with this friend, I stopped by our local drug store. I was contemplating my purchase, when a woman asked for my help selecting diapers for her grandson. I quickly explained to her that I don't have kids, but she still asked for my input anyway. She was a Greek immigrant who didn't speak or read much English. She didn't know which brand was best and which would fit well on the grandson she's babysitting. We walked to the check out counter, and as I left I said goodbye to her and smiled.
So, while yes, city life is stressful, God still places situations in our lives where we can love others and serve them. Whether it's simply not adding stress to the other drivers we're with on the roads each day or helping someone out when we could be too busy. The key is recognizing those moments and choosing to love and serve instead of focusing on our own stress.
