Take a minute and really think about this...is it your family, friends, your job, your home? Have you ever thought or even said something like this; "I wish I had a better car, a new pair of shoes, or even a bigger/better house"?!? We all have thought this at some point or another in our lives.
These past couple weeks have really opened my eyes to truly being grateful for EVERYTHING we have. I have had a couple experiences over the past couple weeks that God has used to show me that everything we have is a blessing, and to take nothing for granted.
Last month I was in Jacksonville visiting family and friends, most of which I had not seen in 6 months and this was a huge blessing for me. While I was there I had 2 small fundraisers, where I was able to share with people the amazing things God has been doing in and though Celebration Church and 6:8 Ministries here in Costa Rica. It was an honor for me to be given the opportunity to share what God has been doing, and give HIM the glory for it all! I was able to spend lots of time with family, to really enjoy the blessings we have as Americans. The convenience of grocery stores, Target, Walmart, driving on smooth roads, having friends and family close by, and just being able to see all the lives that are touched by what God is doing truly is amazing. It was also a time for me to get closer to God, to spend time with Him, thanking Him for all the blessings He has given me. Don't ever take for granted one minute that you have to spend time with family and friends. We all know its easy to get distracted by the day-to-day things in our lives, and we all fail to give Him the glory for everything, HE is the reason we have it all!!!
Another "eye-opener" for me happened a few weekends ago. Every Saturday, for the past 6 months, we have a children's feeding center in a very dangerous neighborhood called Tejarcillos. Each Saturday we feed anywhere from 125-175 children and some families a hot, nutritious meal. The last Saturday in September was an extra special one for the children, and those of us serving, they received a happy meal. Okay, so I know some of you might be thinking "big deal"...Yes it was a big deal to us, and the children. Most of them had never seen a happy meal before, much less been to a McDonalds (the closest one about 15 minutes from their neighborhood). After one particular little boy was handed his happy meal he ran off, sat down and the first thing he did was take the toy out of the box and began to play with it with a huge smile on his face. After a few minutes he then looked back in the box and pulled out the napkin and proceeded to ask "is this another toy"?!? Think about that, this child had never seen a napkin before and thought it was something else to play with. WOW, when I heard this story it really broke my heart and brought into prospective all that we take for granted...something as simple as a napkin, we wipe our hands or face with it and throw it away. This little boy thought it was a toy, something this simple brought him JOY!
The most recent "eye-opener" for me happened just the other day when a few of us went out to do some medical visits and child sponsorship stuff. We went into a neighborhood called New Milineum to check up on some families. When we got there we revisited one family that we have a pretty good relationship with. We were checking up on the grandmother, who is very sick, and checking up on the children. The youngest, Steven is about a year and 4 months old, the mom was telling us that he loves running around out side and playing but has now outgrown all the shoes he had and she gave them to another family in the neighborhood, so he didn't have any shoes, and hadn't been able to go outside and play. She also was saying that she was out of milk, juice and some food for the baby. So after we visited for a little bit we ran up to the local grocery store and bought some groceries for them, with out them knowing. As we got back to the family's house Kelly began to take off Eli's shoes, then before I knew it she was handing them to little Steven and they were a perfect fit. Wow, talk about giving someone the clothes off your back! Little Steven was so happy!
I wanted to share these stories because I truly believe this is something we all need to be reminded of. The smallest little things, a napkin, a pair of shoes, and even spending time with our family we take for granted. Be thankful in what you have...in what God has given you!!
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