Richard Froese
Thanksgiving has just passed and many people got together with family and friends to have a hearty meal and to give thanks.
For most people around the world, that’s not possible; a good meal in a good home.
Travel to a third-world country or to parts of Mexico, and see hundreds of people living in poverty.
Considering that, most people living in Alberta and Canada have so much to be grateful for.
Look at our abundance of food, good healthcare and education services, plenty of recreational facilities and opportunities, a highways system for transportation, businesses and jobs, free enterprise, democracy and open government at the local, provincial and federal levels.
Most people have good homes and all the luxuries.
Yet, many people still seem to chronically complain about anything – and everything – and focus on the negative, the little things.
Look at many other countries around the world where people don’t have those things we take for granted.
We are blessed with so many good things.
Take some time each day to think of all the good things around you. Think about the positive and boost your health.
List the 10 things you are most thankful for each in your life, family, community, school division, community organization, church, school, and things provided by your local government, and provincial and federal governments.
When you come up with a list of 10 for each, tell the related leaders about the list and let them know how thankful you are for the things they do and help provide to make life great where ever you live.
Be content with what you have; have an attitude of gratitude.
We have everything we need that most people around the world don’t have.
Be thankful you have those things, and don’t focus too much on the price or cost; it’s an investment.
Sure, prices may be higher than in some other communities, but most people in the world don’t have easy access to acquire the things we take for granted.
But that does give licence for businesses to jack up prices and government to hike taxes.
In some cases, some of us probably have more clothes in our closet than most people in the world will never have in a lifetime.
I remember hearing a song in a church children’s musical that reminds us to focus on the things we have.
“Oh be thankful for the good things that you’ve got.
“The good things that we’ve got are for many just a dream.”
Research and records show that we live in a country of abundance.
If you:
-Have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and place to sleep, you are richer than 75 per cent of people in the world.
-Have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish some place, you among the 8 per cent of the world’s wealthy.
-Woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
-Have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
-Can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
How often do you complain about high taxes, high prices of groceries, fuel, utilities, government decisions……….?
Spend more time to thank than to complain and express it more.
What are you thankful for?
Thank you.