Thankful for My Problems? (under construction)

On the basis of yesterday's post on learning to give thanks in everything, I'm now faced with the reality that my problems, short-comings, sin areas and failures come under the category of "everything," and I have to deal with how I'm going to give thanks for them.

Now my list of "impossible" problems looks like this:

1. Desire and ability to lead.

2. Consistency with life and disciplines

3. Developing an other's focus and a concern for others.

4. Discipline and control of eating.

5. Home church growth in depth and breadth.

6. Initiating in relationship with others.

7. Consistency with exercise.

8. Learning to suffer.

9. Making my Father my exceeding joy.

So, let's take the first one, desire and ability to lead. It has been said by many that "leadership is influence." If this is true then I do have a desire to lead in the sense that I do have some desire to influence others in how they think and in what they believe. However, what is fundamental to leadership that is lacking in my life is the the concept of taking responsibility for the lives of others. This is something that I do not naturally want to do. I am glad to help you and care for you when you ask for it, but I don't want to take responsibility for you. Whereas I do not have many brain cells that think in terms of being responsible for others, Sue does not have many that don't. She sees the people in the house as her responsibility and cannot sleep (literally) if they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing.

So how can I understand this in such a way to give thanks for this glaring shortcoming in my life?

I can