blessed beyond belief

it is so hard living in america sometimes. it is very easy to get frustrated with the food in the caf and the lumps in my bed. or having to take a cold shower. for the past week, i have found myself complaining about trivial things like this. then today i caught myself in the most superficial complaint ever.

remember back to when you were younger and you had a plateful of food that you didn't like or just didn't want, what did your mom usually say? "eat your food. there are children in africa that aren't able to eat like this." honestly, whenever i heard that i didn't usually respond in a positive way. i usually thought "well if they were here, THEY could have my yucky food."

mom wasn't lying. there are people all over the world that are not nearly as blessed as i am. it is so easy to forget that there are people that jesus told us to love and care for. what's even more unbelievable is that i am a witness to this kind of poverty. i have seen people living in the side of a building with a cardboard roof over their head. i have seen people in dumpsters looking for food.

wow. can we take a second to think about everything we have been blessed with? i have three meals a day ALREADY PAID FOR. i don't have to worry about whether or not i will eat that day. i have a bed in a room with heat and air conditioning. i have options on what to wear every day. i don't have to wash said clothes by hand. and let's not even mention all of my electronics.

but you know what else i have witnessed? those people that are living in the side of buildings and are looking for food in the dumpsters? they are the most generous people i know. some of them have literally nothing and yet they have given me some of my most treasured gifts.

why is it that it makes me cringe to give something to someone else? my blessings have made me selfish. this convicts me to the core especially since i know what jesus had to say about my heart (matthew 19:21; luke 14:33).

i guess, my challenge to myself and anyone who reads this is that "to whom much was given, of him much will be required.." (luke 12:48) god didn't bless us so that we could enjoy it all for ourselves. look for someone that you can bless this week. just like christ blessed you.