Blessed

Have you ever really thought about how blessed you are? Or, do you just take your everyday life for granted? If you have food to eat, a roof over your head, electricity, running water, and a paycheck...you are blessed. There are many nations around the world that are full of people that don't have regular meals, a home, power, and clean water, much less a paycheck.

In the US we are spoiled by our blessings. I KNOW that I am. And besides all of the above blessings, I have a responsible, loving husband who takes his "job" as head of the family seriously, I have heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, and I have access to beautiful, clean grocery stores full of food. I have a closet with clothes just for me. I have more than 1 pair of shoes ~ some I wear only in the summer and some I wear only in the winter. I can go buy fabric because I want to make a pretty quilt (or whatever), not because my only skirt wore out. I have buckets of wheat for bread, cans of vegetables & fruit, and a freezer with meat to prepare meals for my family. And a kitchen full of gadgets to make the job of feeding my family easier!

I was reminded of my blessings again on Sunday, listening to our Pastor and watching his slides on his recent Mission Trip to Haiti. The folks down there have NOTHING. And its not because of the earthquake or anything else. They had nothing to start with. Barely getting by, scrapping out a meager existence, and rampant unemployment because there are no jobs, are everyday life to them. They are thankful for EVERYTHING.

If you have never visited a country like that, you really have no idea what I am talking about. Many regions of Honduras are like that also. Whole families sit on the streets and sidewalks trying to "eak" out a living. They sell homemade tortillas, bananas, used clothes, or whatever just to buy food for their families for that night. The poorest folks in our country are much richer than most of the poplulation of these countries.

The news crews don't hunt to find the poorest of the poor to show pictures of after disasters in these countries. The pictures you see are not doctored or cropped or spliced to tug at your heartstings, they are real life down there. This is everyday.

I am very thankful to be an American. The best words to hear in the airport when returning from a Mission Trip are spoken over the intercom..."Welcome to the United States of America". They send chills up my spine. I am thankful that I've had opportunities to travel and minister in Honduras. I would like to keep going back and also go to other places. You do go to minister to other countries but you also come home "ministered to".

Thank you Lord for my blessings and thank you for reminding me just how blessed I really am!