Queen for a Day

There was a show on TV years ago called Queen for a Day. I don't remember it all that well, but I do remember it always involved a woman with lots of kids and many sad problems. Once the winner was announced, the show hostess would place a crown on the woman's head and an ermine trimmed robe on her shoulders and the parade of prizes would be announced to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance. There was usually new furniture, a washer and dryer, a lifetime of laundry detergent, etc. There were close ups of the tears streaming down the winner's face. I don't remember liking the show very much. Even as a child, I realized to envy the woman's prize winnings meant you also had to have her life, which no sane person would ever want. I wondered if all those prizes really provided any lasting relief to her and her family. I wonder why I thought of that show yesterday...maybe it's because I am living a "life of ease" now, that others might envy without realizing the high price I am paying for it. I think I have been guilty of that sort of envy more than I like to admit. It helps to remember how I felt about those desperate women so long ago, and put on my own crown today, and enjoy the parade of God's gifts already spread out before me.