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Saturday, September 06, 2014

Be Grateful

Sometimes it is really hard to see life clearly, and to see the things we should be really thankful for, until we come across someone whose story is far worse than our own.  It is so easy to sit back and see our own life as one that is miserable - and don't get me wrong, sometimes it is really miserable - but there is almost always someone who has it worse, especially if we take time to count our own blessings. You know, the blessings that really matter and the things we are really grateful for - like flush toilets, and a soft bed to sleep in. 

I know that sounds kind of silly that we should be grateful for these little things, but have you ever really stopped to think about them?  Have you ever really wondered what life would be like living in another place or time, where these little pleasures didn't exist? 

What would your life be like if you didn't have running water available to you?  I for one am so grateful for this little luxury.  I can't imagine having to carry water every day from a stream, if there were any water at all.  I often take for granted the fact that we do have running water.  I posted an article on water and the importance of it in our lives on one of my other blogs some time ago, if you are interested in reading a bit more about it.

I am really grateful for the simple little luxury of flush toilets and toilet paper.  I know that sounds silly, but can
you imagine??  Need I say more?  Every time you flush from now on, be grateful that you can!  There are many places in this world where that isn't an option.

I am really grateful for technology, and I actually mean kind of old school technology, like stoves, microwaves, and refrigerators.  It wasn't really that long ago, when they were cooking things over coal stoves and fires, (in their homes!) and keeping things cold was a real problem, so everything had to be preserved, or kept in ice chests, water streams, or outside in the winter.  Now I love camping, I really do, but I love to take my propane stove and fridge with me - my trailer.  I can rough it camping, and I have many times just to learn and experience, but I sure am glad I don't have to live like that every day.  It is so much work.  I really think that God blessed us mothers with these modern conveniences because He knew how much work it is.  I am grateful! Again, there are many people in the world today, who still don't have these conveniences and I wouldn't want to be without them.

I am grateful that I don't have to sleep on a straw mattress, or a dirt floor, or live in a tent! I know people who have done all of these, or less than these in their lives - today!  My body would hurt so bad, but then again, I probably wouldn't know any different so perhaps I would just not complain because I would be grateful for whatever I had.  But, I do know different, and I am so grateful not only for good beds, but memory foam!  I love my memory foam on my bed!

I am also grateful today for modern medicine, even though I think our lifestyles have created most of the medical problems that we have, I am grateful that we have options to fix these problems.  I have a minor heart issue, and it is totally treatable with modern medicine, and possibly a surgery.  There are many places in our "modern" world, that these options are not available.  Many places where people would just die, and do die every day because they don't have these options available to them.  Thank goodness that we have medicine and doctors to help treat all of the mental illnesses that we have created for ourselves.  Thank goodness that we have modern medicine to be able to treat all of the actual disease that we have, some of our own doing and some that just happens.  Thank goodness for modern medicine.

These are just a few of the things that I am grateful for today. I hope you take time each day, in all of the little things that you do, to be grateful for something.  Whether that something is big or small, be grateful that you have it in your life.  There is someone, somewhere, who doesn't have what you have.

Be grateful.

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