Gratitude

Gratitude

Someone once wrote that gratitude is the queen of all virtues. Funny how one word can conjure up all kinds of emotions. I have often said that an attitude of gratitude changes a person’s perspective on life. If not careful, the daily grind of living can easily distort my thinking from thankfulness to woe is me. Let me give you an example.

Waking up one morning this week, I was feeling pretty down. Nothing much was happening to challenge me; nothing exciting to get the juices flowing. My Bible reading was dull, the local and national news were bad enough to force me to hit the off button on the TV. Even the dog was acting a little strange. I thought oh this was going to be one of those days.

Sitting on my desk was a newsletter from a missionary friend in Africa. It arrived in the mail earlier in the week and I set it aside to read when I had nothing else to do. Picking it up I thought what harm would reading this do. Can things be that worse on the mission field?

At the top of the page printed in bold letters it said: GARBAGE KIDS. This missionary told the story of his encounter of hundreds of orphaned children who survive in a large city dump in the interior of Africa. They range in age from infants to teenagers. Abandoned and ostracized from society they eat garbage, sleep and often die it a disease infested plot of human waste.

The missionary went on to tell how he and a group of native Christians began to reach out to these undesirables. With very limited resources and overwhelming needs, these children were for the first time in their lives feeling the love and concern of fellow human beings.

Just reading the newsletter was enough to challenge me to a reality check! Why was I feeling sorry for myself? The missionary newsletter ended with this passage from the Book of Psalms: “He lifts the needy from the garbage dump.” I need to be lifted from the garbage dump of my own selfishness and lack of gratitude.