I think that everyone needs to go to a Third World country. In fact, I think that everyone ought to go to a slum in a Third World country. You need to go and see how other people live just to discover that you live in Disneyland.
If you have been born in the United States at this time in history, it is like you have won the cosmic lottery. You can compare your situation with anyone else in the past, and no one has had the economic resources and wealth that is here today where you live. And this is true even in our recession. If you live on welfare, you are still among the richest people in the world. In the places I have visited recently, people live on less than a dollar a day.
I say this not to make you feel guilty. I am saying this to make you feel grateful. We are so blessed. And on this week of Thanksgiving, I hope you take a moment and consider how you have been blessed. Instead of complaining, I hope all of us thank God for the unbelievable gifts that He has given us and enjoy the grace that He has bestowed upon us.
But thankfulness is usually not dependent upon the amount of your resources. Some of the greatest gratitude that I have ever seen has been in the worst of slums. Gratitude is an attitude of the heart. It is an observation of the mercies so often overlooked. There is always something to be thankful for. God’s great contributions are too often just not observed. I hope you notice this Thanksgiving. Blessings are all around you if you look.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Milt, I like your term “cosmic lottery”. Not only do we, at least in the U.S., live in the top percentile in terms of having our needs met, we also receive many things we simply want. And in terms of time, we live in a time when the some truly advanced creature comforts are actually considered “normal”. Electricity? Didn’t exist a relatively short wile ago. We have so much to be thankful for in this nation, and you are spot on when you remind us that the gifts that we’ve been given by God (which is exactly where they come from) are incredible and should be viewed that way. Because we are so blessed, it is a joyful thing to give to those less fortunate. Let’s be thankful that we have the opportunity to give, and honor the Lord with whatever wealth He has given to us. Thanks for the reminder! I am thankful for you and CRF!
Dear Milt,
I just love your heart! Remembering the first time you gave a sermon at Northwest Church on Matthew 25:40 regarding helping the least, and sponsoring orphans in need… After going to Kenya with you and our team in 2007 it changed my life and opened my eyes to what we have here in America! Just putting my key in the lock on our front door made me think we have so much, and then to step inside on carpet was an eye opener. Like Glen David said above, we really do think what we have is normal, boy are we wrong!
Visiting a 3rd world country changed my life forever and that is a good thing, because I know we have so much work to do to help those in need. Imagine what could happen if everyone sponsored an orphan, or just donated pocket change each month…
Thank you so much for being such a wonderful example on giving it back Milt, we are glad to be partnered with you in this vision and will continue to do all we can to help.