We Are So Blessed

This time of year always increases our thinking about personal thanksgiving. In years when a person has had a lot of great things happen, it is easy to be thankful. In years when things haven't gone too well, it takes a lot more effort. In fact, in those lean years, it is easy to dwell on all the difficult stuff, and willfully abstain from giving thanks for the many blessings that grace our lives. For me, and my immediate family, this is our second Thanksgiving season in a row where circumstances are far less favorable than they have been in the past. As I have been thinking about thanksgiving, the idea of a line graph came to mind. At the left, bottom end would be the worst off person in the world. At the top right would be the best off person in the world. Where would I rank in this graph?

Almost immediately I thought of the poorest of the poor, the child that dies every 4 seconds, children who do not live past infancy or early childhood. The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes. 21,000 a day who are the poorest of the poor. I thought about the young mother in our church who just found out that her cancer has spread, and will probably take her life without a miracle from God. A young mother who has children to finish raising, who deserves to enjoy her future grandchildren. This week I observed, again, an older Tucson resident pushing all her belongings in a shopping cart, along a street that probably leads to nowhere for this poor lady. I have never had to deal with anything like this...

So where do I fit on this imaginary line graph. Pretty close to the top. As I pray for my extended family each day, I thank God for his tremendous blessings to us all. All of us are in good health, living relatively comfortable lives with a sturdy roof over our heads and plenty to eat. God has blessed Kathy and I with wonderful children, great spouses for our married children, and some of the best grand-kids in the world. As I think about it, the only area that has been very difficult, in the past 17 months, actually disastrous, has been financial. It will take some time, but God will help us recover in this area. His promises are true, and Kathy and I are standing on them.

We are blessed, no doubt about it, we are blessed. Thanksgiving is happy, because we are blessed. Have a happy Thanksgiving, as you thank God for your blessings and for placing you near the top of my graph.