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Life’s not fair, but you can do something about it
12/29/2014 2:52:07 PM

By Ian Robertson
Splash Guest Column

Life's not fair! We've said that many times to our children when they came with a complaint that something was not fair, or right, or what they expected. So often, there are two sides to every question.

Headlines abound. "Union pays only 1.7% of income in taxes yet demands corporations ‘pay their full share.'" "Affirmative action: can it make life fair?" "Income taxes and fairness."

Fairness means to be free from bias or injustice. We expect that from our legal system, as it balances mercy with justice. Evenhandedness. Every person should be treated equally. No problem so far.

But what about everyday life? We can be really biased on many things. Pecan pie is much better than apple pie. My high school is better than yours! My dad is better than your dad. That's OK. 

How do we accept tough situations? Real prejudice against minorities, or immigrants, or poor people, or rich people for that matter. Author Sonia Ricotti said, "Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be." 

Writer Paula Bostrom suggested these five steps (www.TinyBuddha.com):

1. Recognize the problem
2. Do something about it
3. Let others help
4. Take ownership
5. Change what you can and accept the rest.

Remember the old Serenity Prayer! "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Here's a new twist: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know… it's me."

With this new year, perhaps one resolution could be tackling a community challenge, making the world better for another human being. Perhaps the biggest change will be in each one of us.

Remember last year's Ice Bucket Challenge? Donations to fight Lou Gehrig's Disease went from $2.7 million to $94 million. Don't underestimate your ability to make a difference - even a small one.

So follow those five steps above.

How can I make life a little bit better for someone else? What's the problem? Here's one challenge that can make life a little fairer for homeless families and children.

Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing, once said, "If large masses of people were starving there would be a swift public reaction to feed them. Similarly large masses of people without housing should be immediately helped."

Today, this is one of the challenges in Spokane County. Last year, over 1,600 homeless children were registered with four school districts (Central Valley, East Valley, Spokane Public Schools, and West Valley). Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it seemed that all the poor needed were turkeys and toys. Those things are nice Band-Aids, but the real need is affordable housing. Tiny houses may be the next big thing. Permanently affordable, owned not rented. Yes, that's what I'm working on in 2015.

The prophet Isaiah's words are my promise for 2015. "I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places. … You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew. … You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again." Isaiah 58:11,12 

Yes, life doesn't seem fair for most people around the world. But let's make "OUR" world a little bit better.

Ian Robertson is a retired Spokane Valley pastor. He is on the PACE board, was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, was a founding member of the HUB Sports Center in Liberty Lake, and is now working with the Inland Northwest Fuller Center for Housing, providing "decent homes for decent families." He wrote this column as part of a series highlighting the PACE trait of the month. The trait for January is "fairness." 


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