Not everything in life is just handed to you. Some things you have to work really hard for. So, when something does come easily know that you have been blessed.
Taking that a step further, in certain places it has nothing to do with whether you have worked hard, it may just be that the technological advancement has not come far enough and therefore, the tools and skills with which certain things are constructed that make life more pleasant are not available.
A couple friends of mine along with some Pepperdine students have chosen to spend a portion of their summer in a place just like that, Uganda, Africa. They are there not only to repair a lot of things that the locals just don't have the money or means to fix, but to do some church planting and spend time in the Word with them. In a message that I got from Doug Free, he mentioned that he missed his foaming hand wash back home. Doug happens to be one of the most humble men I know when it comes to "stuff" and becoming dependant on it to the point of being unwilling to give it up, but his little comment about the soap got me thinking about some of the major things that I do or use everyday and forget to be thankful for.
Not everyone has been so blessed in life as to not have to worry about the things that I, personally, have gotten used to and taken for granted. There are countless people who do not have the simple luxuries that make life easier and more pleasant; for example, being able to take a hot shower every morning, having a constant source of electricity, underground pluming and a sturdy house big enough, in most cases, to provide each member of the family with their own room for privacy. It is easy to forget so quickly that I have been abundantly blessed in life; not just with these things but many others little things as well.
Just recently I had $75 stolen from my wallet and while I was a little upset about losing the money, I was reminded that even without it I would not really suffer at all. Sure I worked to earn it, but it is God who gave it to me and it is He who can also take it. It was a humbling moment for me and I am sure that it was much needed.
Taking that a step further, in certain places it has nothing to do with whether you have worked hard, it may just be that the technological advancement has not come far enough and therefore, the tools and skills with which certain things are constructed that make life more pleasant are not available.
A couple friends of mine along with some Pepperdine students have chosen to spend a portion of their summer in a place just like that, Uganda, Africa. They are there not only to repair a lot of things that the locals just don't have the money or means to fix, but to do some church planting and spend time in the Word with them. In a message that I got from Doug Free, he mentioned that he missed his foaming hand wash back home. Doug happens to be one of the most humble men I know when it comes to "stuff" and becoming dependant on it to the point of being unwilling to give it up, but his little comment about the soap got me thinking about some of the major things that I do or use everyday and forget to be thankful for.
Not everyone has been so blessed in life as to not have to worry about the things that I, personally, have gotten used to and taken for granted. There are countless people who do not have the simple luxuries that make life easier and more pleasant; for example, being able to take a hot shower every morning, having a constant source of electricity, underground pluming and a sturdy house big enough, in most cases, to provide each member of the family with their own room for privacy. It is easy to forget so quickly that I have been abundantly blessed in life; not just with these things but many others little things as well.
Just recently I had $75 stolen from my wallet and while I was a little upset about losing the money, I was reminded that even without it I would not really suffer at all. Sure I worked to earn it, but it is God who gave it to me and it is He who can also take it. It was a humbling moment for me and I am sure that it was much needed.
posted by Traci Himes at 7:07 PM
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