Wednesday; October 4

I like being an American. I realize that we in the United States have not perfected the human experience, but we do have it very well. I also believe that many of the values we have in our nation fit well with my worldview of how life should be lived. Now, having said that, I do enjoy traveling internationally. First of all, I like seeing new things and meeting different people. There is a great big wonderful world out there and the more I can experience, the more I come appreciate just how grand our world is. Another reason I like to travel is that it reminds me of how good I have it here. When I interact with parts of other countries it reminds me of the affluence and freedoms that we can so quickly take for granted. Pretty soon, my “first world problems” seem to be less dire!

Years ago I heard a story of a young lady who came to the U. S. and was shocked to find that each person in her new home could have their own bar of soap! The ability to have and use your own bar of soap may seem simple, but the fact that some societies have to share hygiene products (or even have to go without hygiene products altogether) can remind us of how blessed we are!

The next time we find ourselves complaining about something, let’s remember just how fortunate we are – not in arrogance, but in appreciation. Whether the blessings are physical, economic, social or in the area of civil rights let’s never overlook how prosperous we are. When we count our blessings, we’ll be more apt to limit our complaints.

Think About It!

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