Ada shared this with me after a youth 2000 activity on Monday. I take many things for granted and realize that I have it pretty darn good and that I should be thankful for each breath, minute, hour and day that I enjoy.
If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you have money in the bank, your wallet, and some spare change, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you attend a church meeting without harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.
If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare, especially in the United States.
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.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation, you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways you may never know.
If you are feeling blessed, repay the blessings bestowed unto you and do something for others.
A blessing cannot be kept. If it stops with you, the blessing will disappear. The blessing will only keep working if it is continuously passed around. If you are a recipient of a blessing, keep the blessing working by being the source of blessings to other people.
~ Author Unknown
2 comments:
That is a wonderful statement. We sometimes
forcus on the little stumbling blocks and forget
to see the wonderful blessings we have, too
many of us consentrate on little petty offenses
and trials and forget to thank our Maker for all
the many blessings He has given us. Just
living in America and belonging to His Church
is SOOOO- wonderful. Look around the world
and see what some of those countries are
lacking and then look at what we have and
say a prayer of thanksgiving. I pray we will
remember this especially this season of the
year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, give a lot
of love to everyone you see. Just a smile can
make someone's day. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you have a great time at your party &
make a lot of people happy.
LV, Mom
All of this is so true, and perhaps the best part of it is that we get to choose whether or not we will be happy from day to today and from moment to moment. Nobody has more control over our own attitudes than we do ourselves, regardless of our circumstances. We just returned home from visiting briefly with a dear friend who has was recently diagnosed with bone cancer. The prognosis is not good, but when we walked in he had a smile on his face. Though we could see that he was in pain, he was positive in his view of life and filled with gratitude for the blessings of family, friends, and especially a loving Savior. I am greatful for all of my abundant blessings and pray that I, like our friend, will find strength and joy even in moments when we are unsure about the immediate course of our lives. When we look at things in an eternal perspective, we lose track of the trials and the sorrows and they are replaced by gratitude and joy and the knowledge that Christ has overcome it all for our ultimate benefit and joy.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts. We all need to reflect on our blessings everyday.
Love you all and always,
Grandpa Bart
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