Be Grateful For What We Have

Last Thursday, our electricity was out most of the morning. Apparently a switch from a substation went down and we were without power for over three hours. Everything I needed to do that day took electricity. Checking my email, sewing something on my machine, and watching a movie. My crock-pot dinner was evern put on hold. We are so accustomed to electricity that it was hard to fill the time while I was waiting for it to come back on.

It's amazing how grateful you become when something is taken away from you that you take for granted. In case you haven't been forced into gratitude as I have been, this might help to put your life in perspective. These are some statistics from the internet:

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have money in the back, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the worlds' weathly.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare, even in the United States.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them, or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not."

Thanksgiving is this week and I'm reminded by force what I am truly thankful for in my life. I need to remember this all year round. Besides being grateful for electricity, I am grateful that I live in my own home in a nice neighborhood, drive a "paid-for" care and live a healthy, active life. My children are good citizens, and keep active with school, work and church activity. I have food on my table, money in the bank and extended family I can count on any time. I am truly blessed and grateful for what I have. I hope you are too.